Songs of TARDISes
by hunterofartemis080
Summary: Centuries ago, the Doctor had a little sister back on Gallifrey who could hear the TARDISes sing. OC/OC and Master/OC
1. Part 1: Chapter One

The second sun rose in the south, the light causing the forests that covered the mountains to shine. The young boy, whose room was where the forest light shined the brightest, was not awoken however. He was already awake and sitting on the bed, staring out the window. Today was his eighth birthday, the day he would be taken for Initiation.

The sound of small footsteps made him turn his head towards the door. It opened and a small girl stepped into the room. "Theta?" She walked over to him, a stuffed animal in her arms.

"What are you doing awake?" Theta asked her, watching as she jumped onto the bed beside him. "It's early."

The girl fell against his arm, clutching him. "You're leaving today. I want to spend as much time with you as I can." She curled her legs up.

Theta smiled, tickling the top of her head. She giggled. "Even Koschei didn't want to do that."

The girl giggled harder. "You're going to be seeing him all the time at the Academy. He's coming later; he told me yesterday. He's going to go with you and Papa when he brings you to the Academy because his papa is busy. Papa made me stay home with Mamma." She seemed sad about not being about to go with him. "You'll write me, won't you?"

"Of course I will Iota." He pulled her into a hug. "I'll write you every day."

"And you'll come visit me every chance you have?" Iota looked up at him, her eyes wide.

Theta laughed. "You didn't act like this when Braxiatel left!" He stood and pulled her with him.

"I don't like him as much. And I was only one!" Theta began to tickle her again, causing her to burst out laughing.

-I-

_A woman's screams echoed through the house. No one who lived there attempted to sleep that night. Even the two year old boy who had been able to sleep through any storm or noise that ravaged the house sat awake, staring into the darkness._

_His door slid open. "Theta?" The young boy's older brother appeared in the doorway. "Mamma is asking for you."_

_Theta pushed himself out of his bed. He shuffled over to where his brother waited. "Is she still screaming?"_

_Their mother's scream answered Theta's question. Braxiatel took his arm and pulled him down the hall. They followed her screams through the house until they entered the room._

_Her hair was pressed damply on her head, spread out on the bed around her. Her breathing was hard and she continued to scream. Theta and Braxiatel approached slowly. She opened her eyes and held out her hand towards Theta._

"_Hello Theta." His mother smiled. "I thought you might want to meet your sister when she arrives." She clenched her hand as she screamed again. Her breathing quickened. "I know the two of you will be close."_

_Theta shifted where he stood, hating how she clutched his wrist. "But won't I have to leave when you give her her name?"_

_His mother laughed. "It's not like I will announce it to the room. I will be whispering it to her. But I want you to see her when she's born." She screamed again before lowering her voice. It still sounded like she was straining. "I feel like it's right that you'd be here."_

_There was a gasp. "I see the head!"_

_His mother clenched her teeth and went silent, pushing as hard as she could. She clutched his hand until there was the sound of something crying. His mother gasped in joy. The rest of the room went silent. The first word the child would hear was to be her name, whispered to her by her mother._

_Swaddled in a shimmering red fabric, the child was brought to its mother's arms. The only way she looked different from other new-born children was the small, dark, bird shaped birthmark flying on her tiny collarbone. She lowered her head to the girl's ear and whispered. Instinctively, Theta covered his ears. He watched in silence as his mother pulled away and kissed his sister on her head. She nodded gently to Theta before looking back to his sister._

"_You have been gifted your name from the vortex of time itself. It will be your protection from the darkness and the greatest secret you've ever known. Your name defines you and shapes you. It is what you must protect with all your life." She kissed her daughter again. "You may share your name with others of your choice, but only those worthy will hear it." She pushed a small amount of hair off her daughter's head. "My second gift to you is the name you shall be called by others. This is the name you must speak until you have chosen your title. That name is Iota Xi."_

_Iota had been quiet as her names were given to her. Her eyes were closed and her small mouth was open in a slight circle. It was only when his mother finished that she opened her mouth again to cry._

_The second time her crying was different. Her voice no longer scratched at Theta's ears and made him want to cringe. It had gained a different element to it, as though hearing her names had changed her very being._

_A maid brought forward the plain wooden crib that had been waiting to the side. A bed of deep blue cloth covered the bottom. His mother gently placed Iota inside. As soon as Iota touched it a wooden wall with her tiny hand, golden writing appeared on the end. It displayed her second name, Iota Xi, to the world. There was a single solid circle at the end that represented her first name. Stars appeared on the mobile above her head. They hit each other gently, but no sound came from them._

_Iota stopped her crying; instead, she stared up at the mobile as if it made a song only she could hear._

-I-

Iota was forcibly separated from Theta when they both had to change into the proper clothing for the Initiation. He was forced to dress in the official clothing while she had to wear a robe more complicated than normal. Her blonde hair was forced into two buns on either side of her head, pulled tightly. When she was finally released, she went to sit outside his room.

Theta emerged from the room, adjusting the collar. Iota jumped up and looked him up and down. "You look funny." She giggled and poked him.

Theta poked her as well. "You look funny too. What did they do to your hair?"

"I don't know. It hurts. And I'm not even going to Initiation." She shook her head it an attempt to dislodge it. "But I heard that Koschei's here. One of the maids said he's waiting outside with Papa."

Theta rushed past her, heading in the direction of the door. It took a long time, but eventually the two children emerged into the red grass. Wind pulled at both of their hair, yanking at the wisps of hair that floated out of Iota's buns.

Koschei rushed towards the two of them, entrapping Theta into a hug. He was wearing a similar outfit to Theta, but slightly different. He was a few days younger than Theta, but it didn't matter. They were able to go to Initiation in the same year even though Koschei was almost a year older.

Iota stood with her arms crossed beside her brother. Koschei turned to look at her after the hug ended. "I like your robe."

"I hate it." Iota shrugged. "It's irritating."

Koschei laughed. "Just wait until your Initiation. The robes get even worse." He hugged her as well.

They all glanced at Theta's and Iota's father, who preferred they called him by his title Ulysses, making sure he wasn't preparing to leave. He was talking to Koschei's father, ignoring the children.

"Are you going to keep yourself out of trouble while we're away?" Koschei asked her.

He and Theta had always taken it upon themselves to protect her from the other children who lived in the estates around them. Iota had a tendency to start a fight by making an innocent comment that would anger the children around her, but her small size meant the other children always overpowered her. Once Theta figured out what was happening to her, he employed Koschei to assist him in protecting her. Every time Iota went to visit the other estates, she was forced by the two of them to always have one of them with her. As the years passed, Iota learned it would be better to stay away from the other estates.

Iota pulled herself tall. "I can take care of myself now. I'm six." She said it with pride, but her brother and Koschei laughed. "What?" She glared at them.

"Nothing." They both spoke at once.

"Theta Sigma and Koschei!" All three turned to look at Ulysses. He gestured for the two to come over. They gave Iota another hug each before going over to him.

The rest of the household came out as well, surrounding Iota. Her mother came over and rested her hand on Iota's shoulder. They all watched as the three men began their journey to the Academy. Her father worked there, so he would remain there with Theta and Koschei, leaving Iota alone.

Before she lost sight of them, Iota ran forward. "Theta!" Theta turned around to look at her. All three stopped. "Find me when I get to the Academy!"

She knew he was coming home at some point while she waited to turn eight, but she couldn't help herself. Braxiatel came home for a few days every two years before going back. Her father came back more commonly, but it was still rare.

Theta smiled. "Don't worry! I will!" He waved one last time before turning back around.

-I-

"_Iota!" She turned around in surprise as Theta burst through the door. His face was flushed and there was a strange boy following him. "I want you to meet Koschei. I meet him today."_

_The brown haired boy stepped forward, smiling in welcome. "Hi."_

_She crossed her arms. "I've seen you before. You have pretty fields by your house. I go there every day to play."_

_Koschei raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"_

"_I like exploring and I saw your pretty fields, so I went there to play. The red is a pretty shade. I saw you a few days ago reading. I watched you for a bit before going home."_

_Both boys looked impressed. "I didn't see you."_

_Iota smiled widely. "I'm good at hiding. Theta can tell you; I always beat him at hide and seek."_

"_Do you want to play with us?" Theta asked her. He knew that she had no one to play with, being one of the youngest children around where they lived. Even the children a year older than her didn't want her to play with them._

_She began to bounce up and down on her feet. "Yes please. Can we play hide and seek? I want to show Koschei how good I am!"_

_Theta nodded and Iota rushed off, already beginning to play. Koschei and Theta exchanged a glance before running after her, the two already deciding that both would attempt to find her._

_It took till the end of the day to find her._

-I-

Even when Koschei and Theta were away at the Academy, Iota went to play in the fields by Koschei's estate. Even though there were fields by her own home, she liked Koschei's more. The sun sparkled on it in a different way that made it even more beautiful.

She snuck into Theta's room and pulled his collection of books from the wall, spreading them on the floor. Every day she picked one of them and ran to the fields to read it. The ones she chose tended to be that of songs, ones that Theta himself rarely touched.

Iota was sitting there, singing one of the songs out loud, when the sounds of two people running caused her to look up. Two boys were rushing towards her, large smiles on their faces as they did so. They looked different, but she knew who they were.

"Theta! Koschei!" She jumped up and ran to them, letting Theta pull her into his arms and lift her into the air. "You came back!"

Koschei laughed. "Of course we did. This is the year of your Initiation; we wanted to tell you what it was like."

She jumped onto Koschei as well, holding him tightly. "Thank you so much for coming back. I missed you." Then she pulled away, glaring at them. "You never sent me any letters."

Theta looked down sheepishly. "We wanted to send you them, but we weren't allowed." Koschei pulled a pile of papers out of his pocket and handed it to her. "We did write to you and we kept them all."

Iota's eyes brightened, holding the letters tightly. For the two years she had been alone, she had looked every day for some correspondence from her brother. But every day, there was nothing. She couldn't help but feel like they had abandoned her.

Theta looked over her shoulder at the book resting on the ground. He furrowed his brow. "Is that mine?"

Iota blushed, bending down and picking it up. "Yes. I've been reading your books while you've been gone." She held it back out to him. "I'm sorry."

Both boys looked in confusion at the book. "Why is this a book about songs?" Koschei asked her, raising his eyebrows.

Iota's blush deepened. "I really like the songs."

"Do you sing them?" Theta asked her. She nodded. "Can you show us?"

Violently, she shook her head. "No. I don't want to."

"Why not?" Koschei asked her, crossing his arms. "You clearly like the songs; I mean, you're reading a book that not even Theta touched."

Theta held out a hand. "Leave her alone. She doesn't have to sing if she doesn't want too."

Koschei shrugged. "Whatever. I just thought she might want to take pride in the songs."

Instead of paying attention to what the two of them were saying, Iota focused her attention on the flutterwing that danced past her head. Theta was forced to snap right in her face to bring her back to them.

"Let's not argue anymore. I want to make up for not seeing you for two years." He smiled down at her. "Want to play hide and seek?"

She hadn't played the game for the longest time. Mamma never wanted to play with her and she could never convince the servants to play. So when her brother suggested it himself, her smile reminded them of the second sun.

**A/N: I began this story during Camp NaNoWriMo and I kind of fell in love with it. Please tell me what you think so far; I currently have over two hundred pages written up.**

**I am also looking for a beta reader for this story. If anyone is willing, or knows someone who is, please contact me. I want to make this story the best that it can be. If possible, I hope the beta reader can be knowledgeable in Old Who in order to correct any mistakes or anything I get wrong in terms of Old Who universe. I am using the Doctor Who Wiki for facts, but it's possible there's something I didn't check and got wrong.**

**Iota Xi, in her first regeneration, looks similar to Carrie Hope Fletcher.**

**Thank you again and I hope you enjoy this story.**


	2. Part 1: Chapter Two

Theta and Koschei gave Iota the chance to choose her job in the game. Before they left for the Academy, Iota tended to be the one who hid. The last few times she had convinced them to play, however, she wanted them to be the ones who hid. And she did the same that time.

She stood waiting for a minute while they rushed around inside the house, separating into their own hiding spots. When the time arrived she walked slowly. Her eyes were closed as she began to make her way through the house, listening carefully.

Without anyone to play with for the two years, Iota had spent a lot of time wandering the house. Soon, she knew every spot where someone could fit and even spots where it was impossible. But most importantly, she knew the sounds the house made.

The servants tended to keep the same pattern throughout the day, meaning their sounds stayed the same constantly. All Iota had to do was listen for any irregularities. It was easy if she concentrated.

With a wide smile on her face, she pulled open a door. "Found you."

Koschei pushed himself standing, frowning. "That was fast." He brushed himself off. "How did you do that?"

Iota described it quickly, already beginning to focus on where Theta was. Koschei quickly understood that he wasn't supposed to make a sound. He followed her as she made her way through the house. She turned towards a table which had fabric draped over it and pulled the fabric apart. Theta smiled up at her.

"That was quick." He saw Koschei behind her. "How did you already find Koschei?"

Koschei took the liberty of describing it for Theta, while Iota blushed beside him. Theta looked proudly at his sister. "Really?" he raised an eyebrow. "That's amazing."

Iota lowered her head in embarrassment. "Thanks."

"I don't think it's fair." Koschei mumbled. "Isn't it technically cheating?"

Theta considered it. "Maybe. What do you think Iota?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I can just be the hider again."

"Koschei! Your father is here looking for you!" Ulysses' voice rang through the house, interrupting their argument. All three deflated slightly before heading back to the entrance together.

The two men stood inside the door, both with their hands crossed behind their back. Both adults had lost their professional decorations and red robes, instead wearing black robes with high collars. Both of their hair was cut cleanly, though Ulysses' hair was a bit rougher.

"Hello Iota Xi." Koschei's father nodded towards her and she curtsied accordingly. Her robe caught under her foot and it was only Theta's hand that stopped her from falling. She blushed, but he only laughed. "You should practice that before your Initiation. You'll have to curtsey more often at the Academy."

Iota nodded, lowering her head. "Thank you, Sir."

Koschei stepped past the siblings towards his father after bowing in welcome. "How has the Academy been treating you, Theta Sigma?"

"Well, Sir."

Koschei's father nodded before turning to Ulysses. "When the time comes, you will escort Koschei back to the Academy, yes?" Ulysses nodded. "Very well. Koschei shall see you that day."

All five gave their appropriate goodbye before Koschei and his father left. Ulysses pulled Iota into his arms the moment they were alone. "I haven't seen you in so long, Iota." She smiled against his chest. "You've grown so big."

"I missed you Papa." She hugged him tightly before he separated from her. She looked up at him.

Ulysses rubbed her hair. "Come," he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "let's go for a walk and talk about what you've been doing."

Iota glanced at Theta, not wanting to spend any more time away from him then she had to. But he nodded in assurance, so Iota and Ulysses began to walk outside, leaving Theta alone. His mother walked over to him and took his hand, doing the same thing Ulysses was doing with Iota.

-I-

"Do you have any questions about the Initiation Ceremony?"

Iota had already finished telling her father what her life had been like over the two years and Ulysses had already relayed stories from the Academy to her. As soon as the stories finished, Iota began to bombard him with questions about the Academy.

Iota considered his question carefully. "Can you describe to me what happens when you look into the Untempered Schism? I've read about it, but it never described it in full."

Ulysses smiled. "Once you've finished the main section of the ceremony, night will have fallen. You will be lead across a field to where the Schism is and you will be allowed to look into it. You look into it for as long as you can. When you can no longer stand it, turn around. They will lead you away to the Academy, where you will meet your roommate and begin your education."

She tilted her head in thought. "That doesn't sound complicated."

Ulysses laughed. "Just wait until your turn to look into the Schism. It won't seem as simple then."

-I-

As soon as Ulysses and Iota returned to the house, she rushed to find Theta. She knew he was only staying for one full day after the end of the current one before leaving the next morning; her father had told her. She didn't want to waste a single second more.

Iota knocked on his door, his letters still in her hands. She had left them on a table near the entrance and she had grabbed them when she ran past them. "Come in." She rushed inside. Theta sat on his bed, reading a book again. She threw herself on the bed, bouncing slightly as she landed.

"What are you reading?" She asked, resting her chin on her hands.

"A book."

Iota laughed. "I can see that. What book is it?" Theta held it up so that she could read the cover. The words were unknown to her. "What language is that?"

"English." Theta smiled at her before closing the book. "It's a language from Earth." Even though she hadn't attended the Academy, Iota knew of Earth in a vague sense. In other words, she knew it existed. "I'm taking a class on it in the Academy."

Iota furrowed her brow. "Why would you do that? Aren't they about 200 million light years away?"

He shrugged. "You have to take language classes anyways. According to one of my professors, by the time you leave the Academy you should be able to speak every language in the universe."

"That sounds like a lot of work."

Theta laughed. "It is, but I like it." He handed the book to her. "Here, I'll teach you a word or two. You can impress the professor."

Iota opened the book carefully. The letters swam under her eyes. "These letters are so sharp and edged." She slammed it shut. "They look like they would hurt to say. Do they scratch your throat?"

"Some of them roll off my tongue. Others just feel strange." He took the book back from her and dropped it to the ground. "Some of the other languages are better though. Like the language Judoon speak."

"You mean the Intergalactic Police?" Iota asked, rolling so that she lay on her back.

Theta poked her in the stomach. "Yes. Fo so ro blo."

She giggled. "That doesn't sound like a real language."

"Don't offend the Judoon. They're going to come take you away." He began to tickle her harder. Her laughter rang through the home.

-I-

When the second sun rose the morning after the next (the day before spent running through the fields of Koschei's estate), Theta found himself waking with Iota in his arms. She was snuggled against his chest, her thumb in her mouth. He watched her for a moment. Light came through the window and shone on her golden hair, reminding him of the forests that decorated the mountain sides. Her curls constantly tickled his face, the only thing that made him change his mind about letting her sleep.

Carefully, he shouldered her awake. "You have got to wake up Iota. I think I'm going to sneeze on your face."

She jumped out of the bed and landed on the floor, sliding herself away. "Don't you dare get your snot on me!" she held up her hands in defense.

Theta laughed. "I'm not going to get snot all over you."

Iota pushed herself back over to the bed, leaning on the edge with her elbows. "Good." Her face fell. "You're leaving this morning, aren't you?"

"Yes." Theta looked away. "But we'll see each other again soon."

"There's still half a year to wait until my Initiation." She slid off the bed and turned around so that her back rested on the side.

Theta hung off the edge of the bed, his head beside Iota's. "Isn't that better than two years from now?"

She smiled. "True." Iota turned her head so that she was looking Theta in the eyes. "You'll come find me at the Academy, right?"

"Of course." He poked her nose. "I wouldn't abandon you like that."

There was a knock at the door that caused both of them to turn and look as the door opened. Their mother stood in the doorway, a sad smile on her face. "I knew I'd find you here Iota."

Iota blushed. "I'm sorry Mamma."

"It's fine, dear. But you have to let Theta get prepared to leave." Their mother stepped aside to allow Iota space to leave.

"Do I have to wear anything fancy this time?" Iota asked as she walked over after waving Theta goodbye.

Their mother laughed. "Not this time."

Iota smiled widely. She skipped out of Theta's room, heading back to her room in order to change. Braxiatel was walking the opposite way and he burst out laughing when he saw her.

"I heard you slept in Theta's room last night."

Iota stopped in her path. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't."

He raised his eyebrow. "Then why are you coming from his room?" He pointed behind him with his thumb. "Since your room is that way."

She blushed. "Why is that so strange? He's my brother and I had missed him. So I wanted to spend time with him."

"Didn't you miss me?"

Iota shook her head furiously. "No." She tilted her head. "Wait. Why did you come home? Don't you have to wait another year?"

"I got permission since this is the year of your Initiation to come home and see you." He frowned. "But then I couldn't find you yesterday, so it wasn't really worth it. Just telling you now, I will look out for you at the Academy."

Iota crossed her arms. "That's Theta's and Koschei's job."

"What?" Braxiatel crossed his arms as well. "Can't your eldest brother want to watch over you too?"

She shrugged. "I guess. But can I get changed now?"

Braxiatel stepped aside, bowing slightly. "Of course. Have a good half year. I will find you at the Academy."

As quickly as she could, Iota stepped past him and continued to her room. A pale blue robe was already laid out on the bed. She dressed quickly before noticing that the pile of letters from Theta. She picked the first one off the top and unfolded it, falling onto the bed. She kicked her shoes off before beginning to read.

-I-

"Iota! Your brothers are leaving!" Her mother's voice shot Iota out of the world of the letter and she rushed towards the door to the house. Her lungs heaved for air as she clung to the doorway.

Braxiatel burst out laughing when he saw her. "Your face is bright red. Did you run across the house to get here?"

"Maybe." Iota stepped away from the door and over to Theta. "I didn't want to miss you leaving." She hugged Theta. "Remember, you have to find me at the Academy."

Koschei walked up beside them, resting his arm on Iota's shoulder. "I won't let him forget, don't worry."

She turned with a smile towards him. "I would more trust him not to let you forget."

Koschei leaned back in fake shock, resting his hand on the space above his left heart. "I would never forget!"

Theta, Koschei and Iota started laughing. Ulysses smiled and rested his hand on Theta's shoulder. "Say goodbye to your sister now. We must begin to make our way back to the Academy."

Theta gave Iota one last hug before moving to stand by Braxiatel, allowing Koschei a chance to give her a hug as well. "Come find us on your first day. You'll get a tour, but you'll be allowed to be with the other students at meal time. We'll make sure you don't eat the food that's poisoned."

Iota widened her eyes. "They poison some of the food?"

Koschei only rubbed her head affectionately before going over to the rest of her family. The four waved goodbye before turning and making their way down the hill. This time Iota didn't run forward to give one last goodbye. She just stood and waved until their heads disappeared from view.

**A/N: Thank you so much to the people that have reviewed, followed and favorited so far. Each time I got an email I got a huge smile on my face and danced in my chair. I hope you're enjoying the story so far.**

**I realized I never mentioned something in the first chapter. Theta is the Doctor and Koschei is the Master. I got the name for their father and brother from the Doctor Who wiki. While the brother is only mentioned in a few of the books, I decided to take the name for the character I had. The father is like that as well.**

**If you have any questions on who the characters are please ask; I want this story to be the best it can be.**

**Thank you.**


	3. Part 1: Chapter Three

Iota and her mother had never been close when Theta was home. From a young age, Iota tended to spend every second she could with her older brother. Before she could fully walk she would beg him to carry her with him, something he found difficult to accomplish. They were forced to lock her door in order to keep her from crawling around the home and getting lost in the many halls.

But when Theta was away at the Academy and it was only the two of them in the home, Iota began to spend more time with her mother. They began to take walks around the estate together. Iota found it enjoyable to ask her mother questions.

The day before Ulysses was to return and bring Iota to the Academy for her Initiation, Iota and her mother were walking as night began to fall. "Mamma?"

"Yes dear?" Her mother looked down.

"Who were you when you looked into the Schism?"

Her mother considered the answer for a second. "That isn't a question easily answered. I can tell you that I didn't run away and I don't believe I went mad."

"So you were inspired?"

"I don't know." Her mother stared into the rising darkness. "It's getting late and you have an important day tomorrow." She turned around and led the way back to the main home. "I will come early in the morning to help you get ready."

"Is the hair the same as when Theta and Koschei left for the first time? Two really tight buns?" Iota crossed her arms. She wasn't looking forward to the robe and the hair for the Initiation.

"It's different." Her mother said, opening the door to allow Iota to enter the house. "But you'll see tomorrow."

-I-

A hand gently shook Iota awake the next morning. She pulled the blanket over her head, not wanting to wake up.

"You have to get up now Iota. We don't have that long before your father comes to get you." Her mother's words forced Iota awake. She sat up blinking, her curly hair frizzed around her head.

Her mother stood in front of her, a white robe in her hands. "Is that the robe I have to wear?"

Her mother smiled. "Yes. Now get out of bed."

It took a few minutes for Iota to fully wake up enough for her to dress herself. Even then, her mother had to fasten the buttons under her chin.

"I don't like this robe." Iota pulled on the collar. "It feels like it's choking me."

"As you get older, robes tend to begin to do that to you." Her mother turned Iota around and sat her down, already beginning to pull a brush through her hair. "Now stay still as I do your hair."

Combing Iota's hair was always a challenge because of the amount of curls she had. It tended to knot every few minutes, meaning that it hurt to try and pull a brush through. She winced every few seconds as her mother hit a knot. Slowly, the pain started to lessen. Pulling the brush through a few last times, her mother began to pull her hair using her hands towards the top of the back of her head.

"Done." Her mother pulled a few hairs down beside Iota's face before stepping back, looking over her daughter one last time. "Now get some shoes and and then come with me to eat something."

Iota's shoes were on either side of the room and she rushed around searching for them. It was difficult for her to walk with the robe, so she had to hold the skirt high off the ground. Even with that, she managed to trip multiple times.

"What happens if I stain the robe?" Iota tripped another time as she came back to her mother. "Will I get in trouble?"

"You'll be able to hold the skirt up, but if you do get stains on it people will understand. I remember I somehow managed to get the entire front part of my robe stained a bright red when I fell forwards." Her mother and Iota walked towards the dining room, where plates of food waited.

Ulysses was sitting at the table, reading a book. He looked up when he heard them enter. "Are you excited Iota?"

Iota walked as quickly as she could without tripping over the edge. "Very." She slid into her seat. Her mother sat next to her. Somehow, her mother knew that Iota wouldn't have the ability to put food on her own plate.

When all three of them had finished eating, both parents accompanied her to the door. Ulysses stepped out of the house first, but Iota turned and hugged her mother tightly. "I'm going to miss you."

Her mother smiling and kissed Iota's head. "I'm going to miss you as well. Keep safe." She pulled away and gently pushed Iota towards Ulysses. "Now get going. I want you to have some time to relax before the ceremony."

Iota waved goodbye to her mother one last time before taking her father's hand, something he offered to her. Taking a deep breath, she began to walk down the path she had watched Theta and Koschei walk down two years earlier.

-I-

From their estate, it seemed as though you would have to walk a long distance in order to get to the Academy that appeared to be a small spot in the distance. However, it only took about thirty minutes to reach the bottom of the mountain. There was another child waiting on the path, who Ulysses walked over to.

"Are you Tirin?" her father asked the boy. The boy nodded. Tirin was dressed in the same style of robe as Iota, but his fit better because he was taller. "This is my daughter, Iota Xi. She prefers to be known as Iota, however. She's going to Initiation as well."

Iota waved to Tirin. Her father had mentioned that he escorted other students who lived around them to the Academy, but she hadn't known there was someone her age. It saddened her slightly; she would have liked to know there was someone she could have played with.

They began to walk down the path, Tirin and Iota walking together behind Ulysses. The ground was open in front of them, allowing them to see the Academy in the distance.

Iota constantly glanced at Tirin. His hair was a bright ginger and hung around his ears, but he didn't have bangs like Koschei and Theta. There were small freckles on his nose. Iota found those freckles funny for some reason.

"I like your hair." She pointed to it.

Tirin looked up like he hadn't noticed it was there. "It's okay, I guess." He nodded towards hers. "I like yours. Is it curly?" She nodded and he smiled. "I like curly hair." Tirin glanced towards Ulysses. "So he's your father?"

"Yeah. I don't get to see him that often though. Only twice a year; the days students come to visit home and the Initiation days."

Tirin frowned. "That's sad. My father works in the Citadel but he comes home every few days."

"That's nice. Are you looking forward to the Academy?" Iota wanted desperately to hear his answer. Both Koschei and Theta had seemed excited to go to the Academy for years. They would always discuss the classes they wanted to take, leaving Iota out of the conversation. Even Braxiatel seemed excited in her memory. But Iota knew from the start she wasn't the same.

When she looked through Theta's books, the only books she was interested in reading were ones non-academic related. She loved the books that described the customs of Gallifrey. And she knew there wasn't a class on the customs at the Academy.

Even when her mother had taught her how to read and the very basics of everything she would be learning about in the Academy, she hadn't been interested. Her attention had been drawn to the window and the sky that was beyond. Her mother had constantly scolded her on not paying attention. She had told her it would be the death of her in the Academy if she kept it up.

Tirin glanced towards Ulysses again. "Not really. You must be, being the daughter of a professor and all."

"I'm not either." Iota blushed and looked away, but Tirin took her hand.

"We'll stick together then." He squeezed her hand.

Iota smiled at him. They looked back at the Academy, which had already started looming over them. Towers stretched to the sky, high above the main buildings. They clutched each other's hands, not even caring when Ulysses glanced back. Iota could feel Tirin's heart beat through the palm of his hand; it was fast.

Before either of them were prepared, they had entered the main hall. Ulysses led the two of them through the hall, not giving them time to look around, and they began to climb staircases and make their way through winding halls.

"You have about one hour until the ceremony officially starts, so you will wait in my office. I have to go teach a class, but a representative will come and bring you to the ceremony." Ulysses opened the door to the room in front of them. It was small, but a large window revealed the outside world.

Iota waved her father goodbye as he closed the door. Tirin had already walked over to the window and was looking out. Instead of walking to stand beside him, she sat in her father's chair and began to spin around.

Tirin turned around and smiled at her. "You're going to get sick doing that."

Iota stopped. "You're probably right. But we have a whole hour to wait. What else can we do?"

"Well," Tirin looked around the room, "we can talk about our childhood?"

"That's boring." Iota began to spin again.

He stopped the chair, something that caused Iota to pout. "I said you should stop that. I don't want to have to explain to your father that you got sick on his floor!"

"I won't get sick on his floor! How many times have you gotten sick and thrown up?" She crossed her arms.

Tirin thought about it. "About once every year at around the same time. It's a bit annoying. Ma said it was a curse."

"You get sick every year?" She spun one last time before standing.

He nodded. "Every year, without fail."

"That's a bit weird." She told him, walking over to look out the window. She pointed. "What's that?"

Tirin came to look beside her, squinting. "I think that's a TARDIS. It is coming from the direction of the TARDIS farms."

Both of them knew it was rare to actually see a TARDIS in flight. They watched it for the remainder of the hour, trading ideas of what it was doing. The TARDIS constantly switched directions and heights, meaning their ideas kept changing.

There was a knock on the door, causing both of them to turn around. "Who's going to open the door?" Iota asked, glancing to Tirin.

"You do it. This is your father's office." He shoved her slightly. She glared back at him before opening the door.

A Time Lord stood there, golden headpiece stretching behind him. His arms were crossed behind him. "Are you Iota Xi and Tirin?"

"Yes." Iota stepped aside to let Tirin stand beside her.

The Time Lord nodded and stepped aside. "I am Neptune. Please, follow me."

Iota and Tirin exchanged a glance before following Neptune through the halls again. Tirin reached his hand out and took hers again, something she smiled at. There was something comforting about having someone's hand in hers even though she barely knew Tirin.

Neptune turned around when they reached a pair of large wooden doors with golden writing. He eyed their hands. "I would recommend you stop holding hands now." They quickly dropped each other's hands, stepping apart. "Now, you're going to have to wait a few more minutes for the rest of the Novices to arrive. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves quietly. When the ceremony begins however, you must keep silent."

They nodded and he turned around to open the door. Tirin reached out and squeezed her hand once last time before they followed Neptune into the room.

The room was circular, with similar doors that they had arrived in spaced around the room. Already about seven children dressed in the white robes were milling about. They all turned to look at Tirin and Iota as they entered. Neptune closed the door behind them with a thunder.

"What are your names?" A tall boy with black hair asked, gesturing them over. "I'm Remon."

"I'm Tirin."

"Iota Xi."

The other six answered as well. There was Crette, Oty Ca, Landi, Fowl, Saka and Miran. Remon seemed to have already declared himself the leader of their class.

Remon came over to them, crossing his hands behind him. He looked like he was trying to appear older than he was, but it didn't work. "I'm going to assume you two are from around the same area, since you arrived together."

"We are. Doesn't your father work with my father in the Citadel?" Tirin asked. "I feel like I've seen you before."

"I think so." Remon turned to look at Iota. "What does your father do?"

Iota crossed her arms, looking up at him. Her height was displayed obviously when compared to Remon. "He's a professor here. Ulysses."

Remon nodded. "My sister told me about him. Apparently he's a rather good professor."

Three doors opened across the room. Nine more children entered. Remon stepped up to begin to process of introduction. Tirin and Iota separated themselves from the rest of the group, only speaking when Remon gestured for their name. Remon clearly was upset that they moved away but he didn't bother trying to pull them back into the conversation.

Neither Tirin nor Iota noticed when the last six people arrived, but soon twenty two people had filled the room and it became noticeably louder. However, everyone fell silent when the doors thundered open to reveal a group of Time Lords.

Initiation had begun.

**A/N: Thank you again to everyone who has told me they like the story so far; it brings such a smile to my face to know that at least someone other then myself reads and enjoys the story.**

**I posted the link to the cover for part one of this story (each part is a different regeneration) on my profile, so please check that out and tell me what you think.**

**I've decided to write little responses to reviews I get here, because it will be easier to me because of school if even the few are compiled into one space.**

_Henny14: Thank you for your vote of confidence! I hope this chapter lives up to your exceptions :)_

_Guest: I would be honored if what will come in the future is anywhere close to Moffat's amazing writing._

_Beautiful space: Here is the update you wanted! :) Thank you for putting the story on favorite and alerts; it is really great to know you like the story enough to do so. And thank you for saying you love the story; it made my day to read that. :)_

_Teddy bear 007: Hope this chapter is as good as you hoped! :)_


	4. Part 1: Chapter Four

Almost immediately, all twenty two children moved to stand around the edge of the room, leaving the center open for the collection of Time Lords to stand. Even though they had already decided not to separate, Tirin and Iota ended up standing on opposite sides of the room.

A Time Lord stood in the center of the room, his headpiece larger than the others. "Welcome to the Academy, Novices. Today is a memorable day for all of you, for it marks the start of your education and your entrance into the community of Time Lords."

The ceremony took longer than Iota expected. They were not expected to do much except stand there silently, meaning Iota was able to devote her attention to the writing that decorated the walls. It was a different version of Gallifreyan than she was used to, meaning it was rather difficult for her to read. In the back of her mind she noticed there was a song being sung and it was the only thing that made her pay attention again.

Iota met Tirin's eyes. He gestured with his head towards a blond boy a few people away. If Iota remembered correctly, his name was Landi. And he was fast asleep. She could see a few of the Time Lords glancing at him constantly, but they did nothing. She giggled, causing them all to look towards her. She blushed deeply, lowering her eyes.

"And now it is time," all of the children turned their attention once more at the main Time Lord, "for you to complete your Initiation."

With a calm face, he turned himself around so that he faced Remon. "Remon, the eldest." He nodded towards him. He turned so that he looked towards a girl with dark brown hair. "Prexitel, the second eldest." He went in the order of age, moving from oldest to youngest. Iota noticed that Tirin was older than her by three of the students, though they were both close to the end. "And finally, Heph Tro, the youngest." In unison, all twenty two bowed at once. "Now, in the order I just named you, you shall be brought to the Untempered Schism."

Remon stepped forwards and a Time Lady placed a black covering over his shoulders. She buttoned it for him before stepping back, nodding in respect. He turned to the head Time Lord. "I swear to protect the ancient Law of Gallifrey with all my might and brain. I will to the end of my days, with justice and with honour, temper my actions and my thoughts."

The head Time Lord and Remon bowed to each other before the head Time Lord began to lead the way out of the room. A second Time Lord stepped forward. "You are allowed to talk amongst yourselves while you wait for him to return. Please be prepared to return to your position when he returns."

Tirin and Iota rushed to each other, both already giggling about Landi falling asleep and the strict ceremonial aspect of the whole event. Without Remon there to conduct everyone into some form of structured conversation, everyone split into small groups. Iota noticed that two people, who looked remarkably similar, had gone to talk to the group of Time Lords.

When the head Time Lord returned, everyone rushed back to their positions. Remon was no longer with him. He seemed amused when three of them attempted to stand in the same spot. He turned to Prexitel and she stepped forwards. She followed the same pattern Remon did before leaving once again.

Soon, no one bothered to move forwards when they were left alone. They just turned to the side and spoke to the person next to them. When it was time Tirin's turn to leave, Iota waved goodbye. She began to shake as she constantly looked towards the door while the three people between them went to the Untempered Schism.

The head Time Lord came into the room and turned towards Iota. Her hands were clenched by her side as she walked over to the Time Lady who draped the covering over her. She took a deep breath before turning to look back towards the head Time Lord.

"I swear to protect the ancient Law of Gallifrey with all my might and brain. I will to the end of my days, with justice and with honour, temper my actions and my thoughts." Iota knew she spoke too quickly, but there was no way for her to redo it.

With a smile, the head Time Lord lead her out of the room. The walk out of the Academy seemed shorter than she thought it would be, but Iota was glad for that. She almost felt that she would run away to her father if it was any longer.

There was a much longer walk through a field after leaving the Academy. Torches dotted the landscape in order to light up small spaces of land at a time. Iota could see Time Lords standing by each of the torches, their backs turned towards her. The head Time Lord moved so that she began to walk in front of him. It was basically a straight path to the Schism in the distance.

Every time she passed the standing Time Lords they turned and nodded at her. They all seemed to be moving slowly, as though they were in a trance. Every few steps Iota felt as though she should look back to make sure she wasn't moving too fast or too slow. But she knew it was wrong to do so. She had to keep her eyes forwards as she approached the Untempered Schism

The Schism swirled blue and purples together, mixing to form colors in between the two. The space behind her eyes began to burn. Her head began to pound as she stopped in front of the circle that stretched high above her head.

A voice began to whisper in her ear. It wavered between thousands of voices and languages. She tried to focus to hear what it said, but she couldn't make it out. Other voices began to sing, mixing with the whispering voice to drown it out. She couldn't understand what any of them said. Instead, she felt her attention being pulled towards the Schism.

She felt a cold fill her body. It dug under her skin and pressed out from the inside. Something seemed to be pressing on her from all sides and she felt her breath pushed out of her. Her eyes began to swim with colors, but she couldn't look away.

Iota stood there for a few minutes, staring into the Schism, before she felt a calm replace the cold. It filled her body and filled her with a sweeter warmth than before. She didn't want to leave. It was nice, then, comforting, to look to the Schism.

The voice began to get clearer. It was whispering her name. Her first name, the first word she had ever heard. Over and over again the voice was whispering it to her.

She took a deep breath before turning around to face the head Time Lord. Immediately the warmth left her and was replaced with emptiness. It made her hands vibrate, but she clenched them still.

The head Time Lord bowed to her. "I, the Searcher, welcome you to the Academy."

-I-

The Searcher passed Iota off to a Time Lady before returning to the room to collect the other Novice. The Time Lady introduced herself as the Finder, something Iota found amusing. Especially after she noticed the look the two adults had shared.

The Finder led Iota to a side building of the Academy. It was a long rectangular building that stretched around one side of the Academy and the back. As soon as they stepped inside the entire building fell into a whisper. Iota saw eyes through cracks in the doors and she knew they were looking at her.

There were still a few whispers from inside a few of the rooms and Iota was able to hear some of them. All of the voices were female.

"I heard she stared into the Schism for a whole nine minutes; that's nearly impossible."

"Isn't that Theta's sister?"

"Wasn't she the one holding hands with that other Novice?"

Iota blushed before looking down at her feet, not wanting to hear the voices any more. The Finder stopped in front of a door near the end of the third floor. "I believe you've already meet your roommate, for she is from your class." The Finder opened the door and stepped aside.

There was a girl with long dark hair sitting on one of the two beds, staring right at the door. She was unbraiding her hair from the bun it had been in. She jumped up when Iota entered. "Hello. My name is Nella." Nella held out her hand and Iota shook it.

"Iota Xi. But everyone just calls me Iota."

Nella nodded. She had darker skin then Iota had seen around before, but her eyes were a beautiful chocolate brown. "Nice to meet you Iota. Who were you when you looked into the Schism?"

Iota blinked. "What do you mean?"

Nella gestured towards Iota. "Did you run away when you looked into the Schism?"

"No."

"So you either went mad or were inspired." Nella nodded, jumping back onto her bed. She pointed towards the bed across from her. "Sit."

Iota went and sat down. "How will I be able to know which one of those I am?"

Nella shrugged. "I don't know. I've read books about it. Obviously, those who run away are known instantly. But those who go mad or are inspired take longer to tell. Sometimes it happens immediately, sometimes much later in life and sometimes never. You never know."

"What are you?"

Nella frowned. "Same as you. I didn't run, but I don't know much beyond that. It's annoying." Her eyes brightened. "I wonder if it's possible to be both. Or two of the three. Can you be inspired but also run? Or run and also go mad?" Nella crawled to the edge of the bed and pulled out a notebook before writing something down. "I'll have to read more about it." She looked up at Iota. "Can you describe what it was like for you? I want more points of reference."

So Iota described it. "Before I even reached the Schism, behind my eyes started to burn. My head pounded when I stopped in front of it. There was a voice whispering something to me, but I couldn't tell what it said. I could also hear people singing. Then I felt cold. It almost felt like I was drowning. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't look away. Soon I began to feel calm. I didn't want to look away. It was only when the voice became clear that I looked away."

Nella looked up from her writing with interest. "What was the voice saying?"

"My name. My first name. Over and over again."

Nella nodded, writing it down quickly in her book. "I didn't hear any voice. There was just a pinprick of pain in the back of my head as I stared into it at the start. After about a minute, the pain exploded to include the entirety of my head and I looked away." She closed her book.

"My brother told me that tomorrow we get a tour of the Academy."

Nella seemed to brighten at that. "I'm so excited for that. Even though the Academy is way too large to tour in one day, it will still be amazing to see what we could." She seemed to realize then that Iota had mentioned a brother. "What's your brother's name?"

"Theta." Iota shrugged. "Technically, Theta Sigma. He's two years older than me."

"I have an older sister, but she's fifteen years older. I don't see her that often."

Iota moved so that she lay on her stomach, her legs pressed against the wall. "What's her name?"

"Juno." Nella moved so that she was in the same position as Iota. She looked around the room. "Are they going to give us something to wear to sleep? It is getting late."

A knock at the door stopped Iota from answering. Instead of fighting over who was going to answer the door, both of them stood up at once. Iota was shorter, so she got to stand in the front.

Someone who looked a few years older than them was standing there, a collection of nightgowns in her arms. She held out two of them. "I'll be back in the morning with the robes you're supposed to wear tomorrow." Iota took them before the girl nodded and left.

Nella held the nightgown up, studying it. "I have a feeling this will be a bit too long for you." She refolded the nightgown over her arm. "I'll get changed first."

Iota climbed back onto her bed and sat so that she faced the wall. Nella tapped her shoulder a moment later and Iota changed. Both of them sat awkwardly for a few minutes before Nella waved goodnight and lay down.

Iota took the job of turning off the lights before she curled up on the bed. She wished she knew where Theta was; she wanted to hug him tightly and never let go.

**A/N: Thank you for reading this story; it means the world to me. I hope you're enjoying it so far.**

**The description of looking into the schism was really difficult for me to write; I had to re-write it a few times before I got something I was relatively happy with. Please tell me what you think of it.**

**I am so sorry that I keep forgetting things I meant to say, but I forgot to say how Iota's name is pronounced.**

**Iota Xi is pronounced= i-oh-ta ki**

**It is a combination of two Greek letters.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: When I read that first sentence, I literally began to clutch my heart and bite my lips nervously. I swear my heart began to race because I was so worried I had disappointed you. But then I smiled widely and relaxed as I read the second one. I'm so glad you liked the previous chapter :)._


	5. Part 1: Chapter Five

Iota blinked awake to see Nella poking her in the side. "Get up." She poked Iota harder. "Come on."

Iota shoved Nella away. "I'm getting up. Don't worry." Nella threw the robe onto Iota's head.

"We have twenty minutes before they come back for an inspection, so get dressed." Nella turned around and began to comb her hair with a wooden brush. Iota pulled the robe off of her head and shook it out. It was black, with the same high collar as always. There was a white sash included, something she knew was meant to go around her waist, to represent their status of Novice.

When Iota had finished buttoning the robe, Nella threw her another hairbrush. Bracing herself for the pain, Iota began to yank the brush through. "Do you know if we have to put our hair into any type of bun?" Somehow, her hair was easier to brush through then normal.

Nella shrugged. "I think our hair can just be in any style we want, as long as we keep it out of our face. I'm going to put mine in a bun though, since mine is so long." She began to wrap her hair at the back of her head.

Iota was still pulling her hair into a loose bun when someone knocked on the door. Nella stood an answered. The Time Lady from the night before stood there, with older ones standing behind her. Iota caught a glimpse of the Finder standing as one of them, but a Time Lady with stern eyes was the one who gestured for Nella and Iota to leave the room.

With her arms crossed, the stern Time Lady gestured for them to turn in a circle. She nodded in approval before nodding to Iota. "Make sure you don't trip on the edge of that skirt." Iota nodded, holding up the skirt slightly. When the Time Lady didn't say anything she stayed like that.

There was a small group of four other students with the white sash around their middle. Iota recognized them from the day before. The six of them followed the group of Time Ladies down the hall to another room, where two other students were waiting.

An unspoken instruction caused none of them to talk to each other, so they followed along in silence until they had gathered eleven girls. Three of them had been in one room, but from the outside it had seemed bigger than the others.

Through the ground below they could hear people running around and screaming, but when they reached the floors everything looked calm. A few people milled about with books in their hands. Their black robes all had different colored sashes. There was a group of four with golden and red sashes, but they had separated themselves from the rest. The Time Ladies that led the girls in Iota's Year nodded towards the four in respect.

People began to follow them as they made their way through the Academy. Instead of the emptiness from the night before, there were a few professors walking around. Iota saw Ulysses standing talking to another professor, but he didn't acknowledge her.

Two Time Lords dressed in simple grey robes opened large wooden doors for them. A large room stretched before them, with a roof made of glass. Round tables were spaced across the room. The other girls that had followed them dispersed out to multiple tables. From a door at the other end of the room boys began to stream in.

Koschei pointed her out amongst the crowd while Iota was led towards a table. She heard him shout across the room before Theta silenced him. She smiled and Nella shoved her in the arm. "Is that your boyfriend?"

"Be quiet back there." A Time Lady glanced back, eyeing Iota and Nella.

All twenty two students in the class sat around the table, with the Time Lords and Ladies at a separate table to the side. Somehow, Tirin managed to sit next to Iota. Nella eyed him up. "Is this your boyfriend? Because I know for a fact this is the one you were holding with."

Both Iota and Tirin blushed. He scooted his chair away from her slightly, making Nella laugh. Though Iota was the only connection between the two she now called friends, she could sense something had clicked between the two. There would be no argument with the fact she wanted all three to travel through the Academy together.

Time Lords dressed in grey began to walk around the table, passing out plates of breakfast. Iota looked around and saw that the same was happening at the other tables. Soon, the entire room was filled with laugher and the clinking of plates and silverware.

Someone put their hands on Iota's shoulders and she looked up to see Theta standing there, with Koschei standing behind him. "Are you going to introduce me to your new friends?"

"You must be her brother, Theta. I'm Nella." Nella held out her hand for Theta to shake, which he did with one arm still on Iota's shoulder.

"I'm Tirin." Tirin waved.

Theta gestured behind him to Koschei. "This is Koschei. He's a bit nervous about getting in trouble from the Time Lords who are keeping watch over you today, but they won't notice if we're quick enough." Theta leaned down and stole a bit of food off Iota's plate, something she smacked his hand for.

Iota noticed that Theta had a white sash as well. She had never seen him in his uniform for the Academy before. "Are you a Novice as well?"

"You're a Novice for the first hundred years. It's annoying, because everyone keeps thinking you're new, but eventually they remember that you've been here for a while." Theta noticed one of the Time Ladies eyeing them. "And we should probably get going. Don't worry; lunch is looser. You'll be able to come over to us if you want."

Theta waved goodbye before Koschei pulled him away by his arm.

Breakfast finished quicker than Iota thought it would. The Time Lords and Ladies that had been escorting them separated until only two remained. One was the Finder and the other was the Hunter.

Tirin managed to stay with Nella and Iota, standing beside Iota. Already, Tirin and Nella formed a visible connection. They seemed to enjoy bouncing insults back and forth between them. It caused the Finder to constantly look back and shush them.

After being shown to the library and the main meeting room, they began to be led down a hallway with doors every few feet. The Hunter knocked on one of the doors and a professor opened the door. They talked quietly before the twenty two were gestured in.

The room stretched downwards, with around thirty seats. All the students turned around to look, already leaning to either side to whisper. They all had white around their waists. The professor was making his way down the steps. He had already begun lecturing again, rapping a few of the students on their heads as he passed.

Iota vaguely recognized that he was teaching them English. The students sitting at the front were writing furiously while the ones at the back seemed to be sleeping.

After a few minutes of watching, during which Iota was furiously confused by verb tenses, the class was gestured out of the room. They were returned to a small hall since they were apparently running early.

Tirin, Nella and Iota moved to look out the window. It was on the opposite side of the Academy that Ulysses' office was on, so it revealed the mountains where Iota knew her home was. They looked out in silence until the doors opened and the Finder and the Hunter had returned.

They stepped to the back of the group after announcing that the group was to find their way to the dining room on their own. Remon, as all of them had guessed, took the lead. He got them lost a few seconds in and a boy named Qurine Lecmic stepped to the front. He brought them through a hallway none of them had seen before, but the doors to the dining room soon stood in front of them. The Hunter clasped Qurine Lecmic on his shoulder, congratulating him.

"If you would like, you are able to sit at separate tables. I know a few of you have siblings," the Finder eyed Iota, "so you are able to sit with them. After you have finished eating, return to this door," she gestured to the door in front of them, "and we can continue the tour."

The Time Lords in grey opened the doors and the twenty two streamed into the room. Tirin turned to Iota. "Do you want to sit with your brother?"

Iota glanced towards the table where she could already see Theta and Koschei sitting. Their backs were to her, so they hadn't gestured her over yet. "Not really."

Nella smiled before taking both Tirin's and Iota's hands and pulling them to a smaller table against the wall. They all began to giggle when Theta began to look around with a confused look on his face for Iota. The students with blue sashes sitting at the table near them looked back in annoyance.

One of the Time Lords delivering the food placed three plates on the table. Nella gestured for him to stop. "Excuse me, what should I be calling you? It feels weird just to say 'the ones in grey delivering food'."

The man bowed. "We are the Servers. Please, think of us as such." Nella nodded and the man left.

The food was a soup that Tirin seemed to adore. He stole some of Iota's, something she was thankful for because she didn't like it. As soon as Tirin had devoured most of the soup, the three stood and made their way to the door where already a few of their class were waiting. Tirin and Nella surrounded Iota so that Theta couldn't see her.

It took a few minutes, but eventually the rest of the class had joined them. The Finder and the Hunter counted them before gesturing for them to leave the room. Remon stepped forwards. "If you don't mind me asking, where are you showing us now?"

"Another classroom where you will partake in the lesson and one of the TARDIS cradles." The Hunter explained.

Three of the students looked upset about the fact they would be taking part in the lesson, but Iota couldn't help and feel excited. Though somehow she knew it wasn't because of the lesson, and rather the possibility of the TARDIS cradle. Nella was literally vibrating beside her. Tirin was one of the three not excited.

Nella poked him in the shoulder. "What's the matter? Aren't you excited about the lesson?"

Tirin shook his head. "Not really."

"You're crazy." Nella giggled.

"Don't tease him." Iota took Tirin's hand, smiling at him. "He doesn't have to be excited."

Tirin squeezed her hand. "Thanks."

Nella crossed her arms. "Whatever. You're excited, aren't you Iota?"

Iota shifted awkwardly. She didn't want to lie, but she knew Nella would be mad if she told the truth; she wasn't excited for the lessons. Everything Braxiatel had told her over the years made the Academy seem like one of the hardest places in the world. "Of course I'm excited." She sighed. "I'm just nervous."

Nella smiled. "That's okay. I'm kind of nervous too."

The twins were walking in front of them and they looked back. "I can't wait until tomorrow, when lessons actually start." The one with longer hair said. "I'm Viru."

"Giro." The one with hair cut around her ears waved. Nella smiled.

"Nella." She stepped forwards so that she was walking with them, already sharing notes.

Tirin glanced at Iota. "Are you really excited for lessons?"

Iota glanced at Nella before answering. "I'm terrified for the lessons. For some reason, I'm excited for the TARDIS cradle."

"I'm not excited for either of the places."

The Hunter and the Finder stopped the group, turning around so that they addressed them. "Choose a seat in the room." The Hunter opened the door and stepped aside to let the class enter.

The room looked like the one they had seen earlier, only there was no one in the room except for a professor at the front. Nella and the twins rushed to the front, but Tirin and Iota chose seats in the back. Once everyone was seated, the professor introduced himself as the Eolas before beginning.

**A/N: Actual classes at the Academy will be starting soon, bringing with them the stress of exams and studying. If you have any questions about how my version of the Academy works, feel free to ask. I couldn't find much about it online, so I created my own.**

**I won't be posting over the weekend because those days allow me time to write in order to always have a storage of chapters to publish. But a new chapter will be coming on Monday, so look for it then!**

**Notes on reviews:**

_JannaKalderash: I'm glad you're enjoying it :). I thought the Doctor needed a little sister to care for and protect as well, especially when the story branches into New Who (which it shall)._

_Teddy bear 007: It's alright! :) Thank you for saying that; I was nervous that it might not make sense. It was one of the scenarios that made sense in my head but I found impossible to get down on paper. I have been reading all of Lizzxx's Doctor Who stories (and am loving all of them). It was unintentional that I got the name from her; I didn't even realize it until she said the name again in her story! I had been reading her stories at the time and I guess the name just got lodged in my head._

_that night: Thank you for that compliment! :D I literately got up and did a little dance of joy as I read it. Here's the update you wanted; hope you enjoy!_

_Henry14: I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope this one is as good as the last one._


	6. Part 1: Chapter Six

"This will be an example of the type of class you will be partaking in tomorrow when your lessons begin." The Eolas turned around and began to write on the board. He began to lecture on the position of stars.

Iota stared down at the paper before her. Clearly, it was meant for notes. She glanced up at the other students to see them writing. She took a deep breath before beginning.

They continued in the class for three hours, the only sounds the Eolas' voice and the scratching of pens. When the class finally ended with a ringing of bells, something Iota had heard as they walked through the Academy, Iota pulled the papers tightly to her chest.

"You'll be given notebooks for each of your classes in order to take the notes, so you won't have to keep track of a collection of loose papers as well as a bag to carry them in." The Finder explained as she led them out of the room.

Nella came back to stand by Tirin and Iota again. "That was so interesting." Her eyes seemed to have gained a bright light. "I'm even more excited now."

Tirin frowned, looking between his papers. "That confused me so much."

"I understood some of it." Iota looked down at her paper. For the first half of the lesson she had been doodling, not even trying to understand. But in the second half, her chest had suddenly burst with warmth and the world swam with gold. Immediately, her mind had started to make connections. Still, she didn't understand the words. It was only the map of the galaxy that she understood. When Iota had looked over to Tirin's paper she felt bad to see that he wasn't even trying.

Nella smiled. "Can I see your papers Iota?"

Iota handed hers over, nervously looking down. The entire class had stopped for a minute while the professors discussed something amongst themselves.

Nella flipped through the papers quickly. "This is pretty good. No offense, but the format of your notes isn't the best. Don't worry though; you have a few hundred years to get it right." She smiled at Iota before handing it back.

Tirin's face lost all color as he remembered how long they attended the Academy.

Iota quickly scanned her mind to find something to distract him. "Who's your roommate, Tirin?"

Tirin pointed towards a short boy with brown hair. He was standing with Remon and Prexitel, not even acknowledging Tirin. "His name is Brig."

"Is everyone ready to move?" The class's attention was brought back to the Hunter. Everyone nodded in unison and the Hunter turned around with a sweep of his robe. "Follow me to the TARDIS cradle."

Iota felt her chest burst with warmth. She speed up, dragging Tirin and Nella with her. The other two looked between each other but followed. She was soon walking right behind the professors. Remon walked to her right.

"Are you excited about the TARDIS cradle?" Remon smiled.

Iota shrugged. "Kinda, yeah. I don't know why though; I've been inside a TARDIS before."

Her mother had brought her, Theta and Koschei to the TARDIS farms when she was five. Everyone there had called her mother Penelope, her mother's chosen title, but Iota had kept calling her Mamma. She hadn't felt old enough to actually call her mother by her title, though she was fine with calling Ulysses by his.

Her mother's family was one of those that devoted their entire lives to working with TARDISes. There had clearly been tension between her mother and her mother's family because her mother had gone to the Academy and chosen a life of education instead of spending her life with the TARDISes, but it was clear her mother still loved the TARDISes. She touched a few of them lovingly as if she remembered them. They had been shown inside a TARDIS by Iota's grandfather and been allowed to touch a few of the levers. Theta and Koschei had been much more excited than she had.

The Finder looked back at her. "After Initiation, TARDISes always seem more interesting than before. No one can explain it."

Nella frowned as she thought. "What if it has something to do with the vortex? Maybe you get more attuned to the vortex after you look into it, and since the TARDISes are connected with the vortex you recognize that in the back of your mind and you feel pulled towards them. Like it activates something in your brain."

The Hunter smiled at her. "I have a feeling you were inspired from the vortex."

Nella looked excited at the prospect. She moved forwards and began firing questions to the Hunter about the vortex and the Untempered Schism, who answered them cheerfully. Tirin frowned.

"I don't think it's as complicated as that." He whispered to Iota. "It's probably just nerves." She was thankful he didn't say it louder, because she could tell Nella wouldn't be so happy about what he said. But Iota knew Nella would be happy to debate about it.

The Finder soon organized the class into a single file line. Iota ended up standing behind Prexitel, who had a white sash holding her bangs away from her face. They went into the room one at a time because according to the Hunter the room was too small for all twenty two.

Iota was still near the front, but time seemed to pass slowly. There was a pain in the back of her head. It made her vision swim and Iota pressed her hands to either side of her head in an attempt to make it stop. Tirin had to shove her forwards in order to make her notice it was her turn to go into the room.

Every wall and the floor of the room were tiled in white, giving it a medical like appearance. It even smelled like chemicals. The console sat in the center, with wires stretching to the ceiling. The console itself seemed to hum.

Iota looked down at her hands to see them vibrating. She walked slowly to the console, one hand stretching out to touch the surface. Immediately her chest filled with the warmth she had felt in the class. Her eyesight sparked with golden particles. Her hearing seemed heightened and she felt like she could hear singing somewhere in the back of her mind.

"There's something broken." She turned to look at the Hunter, who was standing against the wall. She didn't know why she said that, but it felt like it was true. Something seemed off about the TARDIS, even though it wasn't a functioning one. It was almost like a note in the song was wrong.

The Hunter narrowed his eyes as he moved to stand alongside her. "What do you mean?" he looked down at the console. "How can something be broken? This is regularly maintained."

Iota looked down as well, running both her hands over the many levers and buttons. She needed to do that in order to examine something. "I said that wrong. It isn't broken. It's sick." If there was one thing she knew about TARDISes from her mother, it was that TARDISes were alive. Not in the same sense that Time Lords were, but they were.

"Can you figure out what's making it sick?" The Hunter stepped back, giving her a full chance to walk around the console.

Iota opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she kneeled down and ran her hand under the console. "I don't know. But there is something wrong. Something here." Iota tapped a small panel before standing.

The Hunter nodded and opened the door that was behind him. "You'll be able to come back during breaks if you want to, but it's time for the others to come into here."

"Can you tell someone that something's wrong?" She asked frantically. It felt like something bad would happen if nothing was done.

The Hunter nodded kindly. "Don't worry. I don't ignore warnings about TARDISes. I'll tell you if anything is discovered."

She smiled and left. The five students that had already gone into the TARDIS were waiting in a small room. Tirin came out after her a few seconds later. Iota turned in surprise when she heard the door open.

"That was fast!"

Tirin had turned pale. "I felt sick. The Hunter didn't make me stay." He slid against the wall to the ground and held his head in his hands. Iota slid down beside him and rubbed his shoulder. The other students cast him a look, but didn't do anything.

There were eight people between them and Nella, but eventually she showed up. Tirin had gained as much color as normal again (which wasn't that much). Nella leaned against the wall above them while they waited since Tirin still didn't want to stand.

When the Finder and the Hunter entered the room, Nella and Iota pulled Tirin up. "We're returning to the library to allow you to explore. Please do not bother the other students there; it is one of the studying periods."

Iota was glad they had a chance to look around the large library. It had amazed her when they briefly walked past it. The bookcases had seemed to stretch in every direction, even up and down. There were no windows in the room, but it hadn't taken away from the room. It made it better, almost. The library had seemed like a separate world and windows would only serve as a reminder that they were still on Gallifrey.

As soon as they entered the library Nella began to pull Iota and Tirin through the thousands of books. She navigated the maze as though it was second nature. Iota knew that half of any time she spent in the library alone would be spent trying to find her way through.

Nella stopped in front of a large wall of books. There was a map of multiple galaxies on the wall. They seemed to be shifting as planets moved. While Nella began talking about positions of stars and the equations to find them out, Iota stared at the maps. Tirin seemed lost between the two.

All three of them knew that the lesson had been a basic outline of what astrology was truly like. It hadn't even scratched the surface. It didn't stop Nella from already wanting to learn more, however.

Someone tapped Iota on her shoulder, causing her to whip around in shock. Koschei stood behind her, a smile on his face. He held a finger to her lips. "Theta doesn't know I've found you. He's been looking for you furiously. He even went to Braxiatel to try and find you. I'm just warning you in case you want to continue ignoring him and experience your first day on your own."

Iota nodded and Koschei stepped away. He waved goodbye to the three before vanishing into the maze of books once more. Iota slipped under a cloth covered table as she heard Theta's voice.

She didn't know why she was avoiding him. He was her brother and he likely only wanted to make sure she was getting on well. But it made the Academy seem even more interesting if she was experiencing it without her brother already showing her where everything was. It added to the mystery if she did it on her own.

"Aren't you two Iota's friends?" she heard Theta ask.

"Yeah." Nella answered to him. The table about Iota shuddered as Nella plopped a pile of books on top. "Why are you asking?"

"Do you know where she is?"

Tirin made a sound as though he was going to answer before Nella spoke up. "She just walked off, mumbling something about happy primes. I have no idea where she went."

Theta sighed before walking off. Iota crawled out to see Koschei still waiting for her. "He'll probably find you during dinner today. Just warning you. Just don't come over to eat with us; Ushas isn't that welcoming to lower classmen." He walked off, following the voice of Theta as he asked others if they had seen Iota.

"Your brother is a bit obsessive." Nella noted, already returning to the books.

Iota laughed. "He just wants to make sure I'm okay. He's not obsessive; just protective. What are happy primes?"

Nella shrugged. "I have no idea. Juno came home one year mumbling about them, so I assumed they were something complicated."

"Koschei seems more like an older brother then Theta does." Tirin commented, leaning against the wall.

"Too bad he's Theta's best friend; not my brother."

**A/N: The first time Iota is in some sort of TARDIS! I really liked this chapter for that reason. I hope you liked it as well, and aren't too mad at me for not posting over the weekends.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: I'm going to take that as a compliment; thanks! For most of my life I've been a terrible speller so I'm glad I've gotten better! It's strange, for me spell check has seemed to make me a better speller rather then the opposite. I just get annoyed having to right-click on the red squiggily line, so I learn how to spell the word._


	7. Part 1: Chapter Seven

Nella spent the remainder of the time they had in the library attempting to explain to Tirin what the lesson had been attempting to teach them. He seemed to be paying attention, but he constantly caught Iota's eye and mouthed for help. Iota had to hold back her giggles as she looked through maps of stars. She didn't bother attempting to understand the equations alongside the diagrams; the numbers only swam in front of her eyes. Her fingers just traced the paths of planets. She didn't know why she was so interested in it, but she was. It gave her a warm feeling to look at the stars.

When the bells rang to announce that it was time to go to dinner, Tirin was the first one away from the table. However, he returned a few seconds later. "I can't find the way out."

Nella sighed before returning the books she had taken out to their proper places along the wall. Tirin rushed to help her. Instead of doing the same, Iota continued reading her book. It was only when Nella yanked the book out from under her that she stopped.

"Hey! I was reading that." Iota pouted, pushing herself standing.

"Well, I'm hungry. I think that over rules your books." Tirin's stomach grumbled loudly. "Come on!"

This time Nella lead the way back out of the library. They met up with the other members of their class, though this time the Finder and the Hunter were no longer there waiting. Qurine Lecmic stepped forward and took his role once again. Nella already knew her way around the library, but only Qurine Lecmic seemed to know his way around the Academy. Iota guessed that he must have a parent who works at the Academy, since that was the only way someone could have gone to the Academy before now.

Iota could have gone with Ulysses at some point, but she had never found it desirable.

Theta was waiting by the door to the dining room, his arms crossed. The other students eyed him nervously before they entered. Iota stopped, knowing that there would be no way to continue walking through once Theta had seen her. Tirin made as though he was going to stop, but Nella yanked him by his hand. Soon, it was only Iota standing there.

"Why are you so desperate to find me? You saw me just this morning." It was only then that she noticed that he was worried. She could see it in the way his hands clenched and his jaw was locked.

"I wanted to make sure you were getting on alright." He mumbled, looking down. Even though he was older than her, at that moment she could have been the older sister.

"I'm sorry." Iota wrapped Theta in a hug. "I didn't know how worried you are. And I'm fine."

Theta laughed. "How could I not be worried? My little sister is starting the Academy; anything could happen." He rubbed her head. "I won't make you meet my friends today, but you're going to have to meet them some day."

Iota giggled. "I'll meet them one day. Just give me time to get my footing here."

"How long will that take?"

She considered it. "Oh, a hundred years? In the very least."

Theta pulled her into a hug one last time before rushing forward and pushing open the door. Iota sighed. She hadn't liked Theta looking for her as much as he had been. It stopped her from experiencing the Academy alone. Braxiatel had been nicer; he had given her at least a day to learn her way around.

Nella and Tirin were sitting at the large table their class had chosen. The seat beside Nella was open and Iota rushed over. Tirin waved at her as she sat down. "How was your brother?"

"He just wanted to know how I was doing." The Servers had already delivered a basket of bread and a soup. "What is this?"

Nella shrugged. "I have no idea." Her mouth was stuffed. "But it's good."

Iota dipped a piece of bread in the soup and took a bite, smiling. "Much better than lunch."

Remon was sitting across the table from her and he had already begun to join the entire table into a conversation. He made a comment about the class they had that day and Prexitel turned to face him with her eyes burning. The rest of the table went quiet as Remon and Prexitel began to debate.

When the Servers took returned to remove the plates and bowls, the Finder and the Hunter returned as well. Iota's class was once again separated into male and female and lead away by their corresponding Time Lord or Lady.

"Where are we going now?" Iota whispered to Nella. "It's much too early to be going to sleep, isn't it?"

Nella shrugged. "We did wake up early today."

The Finder looked back. "I am showing you to the showers. Afterwards, you will return to your room. On other nights, you would be able to go to the library or one of the meeting halls in order to do any work professors assign if you don't want to do it in your room."

Nella crossed her arms. "I wanted to explore more today," she mumbled. "And we have no work to do."

"Be quiet back there, Nella!"

The Finder seemed to be one didn't tolerate talking. It made Iota slightly irritated, because she wanted to ask Nella more questions about the stars. But Nella seemed perfectly happy to look around the Academy. Iota knew that she was making mental notes, attempting to form a map of the Academy so that she wouldn't have to rely on Qurine Lecmic to get them everywhere.

The showers seemed to be in a building to the side of the dormitory one. From the outside, in the slightly earlier light, Iota was able to see that a few towers stretched into the sky from the roof of the high building.

There was a medical like atmosphere in the showers. It reminded Iota of the room the TARDIS cradle was in. The walls and floors were tiled with white and small rooms were spaced around the large room.

The Finder pushed open one of the doors. Lights flickered on inside. "This is one of the showers. I'm sure you've seen a shower before, so there's no need to spend time here." She let the door swing closed before leading the way back to the dormitory. She waved her hands in the air. "I'm going to trust you know your way back to your rooms. If not, return here and I'll lead you to it. If I'm not here, wait for me to return."

Nella lead the way back to the room. All Iota could remember was that it was on the third floor. Instead of the blank wooden door Iota remembered, a white circle was engraved along with her and Nella's names.

"Well, that made it a rather bit easier." Iota commented as they pushed open the door.

New nightgowns were folded on top of each bed. There were also new robes and new white sashes next to them. Iota pulled hers up to see that it was shorter, more at a length that would fit her height. She smiled.

"Apparently we're going to be getting the notebooks for each class when we take the class." Iota turned to see that Nella was holding a paper. She glanced at Iota, frowning. "I was hoping that we'd get it now along with a book or two on the subject."

Iota giggled, sitting on the bed. "I do wish that we could go to the library. I want to look at more of those maps."

"What's so interesting about those maps? I find the equations more interesting." Nella sat across from her, pulling her legs so that she sat crossed.

Iota shrugged. "I don't know. Something about them makes me want to look at more of them."

"That's a bit weird." Nella paused. "When I went into the TARDIS cradle the Hunter asked if anything felt wrong about the TARDIS. He said a previous student said the TARDIS felt sick. Did he ask you that?"

Iota blushed. "I was the student who said it. When I went in there, something just felt wrong and sick."

"I mean, I don't know if sick is the correct terminology since it isn't known if TARDISes are alive. But that cradle is regularly maintained. How can something be sick?"

"I don't know! Stop asking me!" There was a pounding in Iota's head as she was speaking and she clutched the bed. Her eyesight was filled with small red dots and it felt like her eyes were burning from the inside. It took a second before it went away, leaving her with an empty feeling again. It was only then that she realized that ever since she had seen the TARDIS there had been a warm feeling in her chest. She hadn't realized it had been there until it left.

Nella held up her hands in defense. "I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry too," Iota mumbled. "I didn't mean to shout." She stood and moved the robe, sash and nightgown to the chest at the end of the bed. Nella mirrored her before pulling out a book from the chest.

"My mother sent me here with this book of legends. I've never read it before, but she said it was a good read." She pulled it open. "Do you want me to read it aloud?"

Iota nodded and the two sat on their own beds. Nella began.

As in Nella's fashion, she made comments throughout the stories she read. Most of her comments would spawn a comment from Iota, which would begin a small conversation. When the bells rang to announce an hour had passed, Nella remembered the showers. "Do you want to go?"

"Do we have to bring our nightgowns with us?" Iota commented as the two of them stood.

Nella stopped to think about it. "Yes. Juno talked about the showers once, I remember it. That was a weird conversation."

Iota laughed and grabbed her nightgown. She stepped out of the room before stopping, looking around confused. "Um…which direction were the showers in?"

Nella stepped past her and began to walk down the hallway. Iota followed along behind. There were a few other girls from their Year emerging from the rooms around them in groups of two. Giro and Viru came out of one and began to talk with Nella, leaving Iota walking on her own.

A few girls who were clearly older joined after a few minutes, eyeing those of Iota's Year. They whispered amongst themselves. Prexitel, who walked beside Iota, didn't seem bothered. But Iota couldn't help but feel the girls' eyes on the back of her neck, burning small holes into her flesh.

The showers were empty and the students dispersed, each walking into their own room. Iota found herself in one to the side. She placed her nightgown in the small slot against the wall and watched as a hatch closed it into the wall, keeping it safe from water. There was a hole in the wall where she placed her robe and sash. A wall slid up and she heard the sound of her clothing falling down below.

Almost immediately afterwards water shot out from all sides. Soap followed right after, hitting her hair and dripping down. Water followed quickly again and she felt the soap wash away to the ground, where it drained into a hole in the ground. Air rushed into the room and she closed her eyes. It pulled at her hair and made her wince as it sliced against her face.

There was a dinging noise and Iota opened her eyes to see that the wall holding her nightgown had opened again. Quickly, she dressed again and stepped out, wrapping her arms around her chest. She didn't have to lift the skirt in order to walk anymore.

A few girls from Iota's Year milled about in the large area in front of the shower rooms. One waved to Iota. "Nella already went back to your room. She said you would know the way back."

Iota nodded before leaving the showers. In the back of her mind she wondered where the boys showers were, since there had only been girls in hers. She assumed that theirs was closer to their dormitories on the opposite side of the Academy.

It took her a few minutes of wandering through the third floor hall, looking for the door that depicted their names, before she found it. Nella was already sitting on her bed, jotting down some notes in her notebook. She looked up when Iota entered.

"I asked one of the older students and they said it would be a good idea to go to sleep now. Apparently the noise from people waking up should wake us up in the morning, but if it doesn't a bell rings ten minutes before breakfast is served." She closed her notebook and slid it onto the table at the end of her bed.

Iota slid into the bed. "Well, then we should get to sleep." She pulled the blanket around her chin. "Good night, Nella."

Nella mimicked her, though she lay down. "See you in the morning, Iota."

Just before Iota fell asleep, her chest burst with warmth. Golden particles danced in front of her eyes and it sounded like someone was singing.

**A/N: Something strange is happening with Iota; she isn't one to snap at people for simple things like what Nella and her were discussing. I wonder what's going on...**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are enjoying this story so far! Thank you to every one who has reviewed; each time I see one it makes me pull up the major story word document and continue writing, regardless of what I was doing at the time. I love to hear that you're enjoying the story :).**

**Notes on reviews:**

_JannaKalderash: Thanks! I love writing Theta and Koschei's relationship now, especially when they become the Doctor and the Master in the future. I will say now, Iota will get more irritating at certain times of her life as she gets older. I can definitely see that happening lol._

_Teddy bear 007: Well, then thank you!_

_Guest: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you are enjoying this so far. Thank you for that amazing compliment. Here's the update you wanted :)._

_Henny14: Thanks! I just realized what I was doing thanks to your review; did I make it better in this chapter? In the future I'll attempt to be extra careful. This fanfic is going to be rather long. It will have the Academy years, what happens to Iota for a few years after, the time war, five episodes and a few original chapters from the third season and two of DT's specials and then the fifth season until a point in the sixth season so far. It is possible I'll extend the story, depending on how the 12th Doctor turns out. Each regeneration will have its separate part and cover, but it will all be compiled into one story._


	8. Part 1: Chapter Eight

Girls squealing and running pierced through Iota's dreams. It forced her eyes open and she sat up, blinking. Nella still slumbered on beside her, so Iota threw her hairbrush at Nella's head. Nella swatted away the brush before sitting up.

"Is it morning?" She asked, still sounding like she was asleep.

Iota paused to listen to the hall. "I think so. I think we can hear the sounds of people waking up, like you said."

Nella nodded. "Oh yeah, I did." She crawled over her bed and pulled her robe and sash out of her chest. Iota turned around so that she wasn't looking until Nella threw her brush back at her.

Just as Iota had guessed, the robe fit her much better than the one from the day before. She smiled before beginning to comb her hair. Once the brush had worked through it the best it could, she pulled it back into a bun at the nape of her neck. The curls always sprung back by the end of the day, but in the beginning she had some control. She glanced at Nella to see that her hair was on the top of her head.

"How are we going to find our first class?" Iota wondered. "We don't even know what it is."

"I asked the girls about that as well. They said that whichever Time Lords that had been leading us around the day before would show us to our classes for the first times we have them." Nella stood. "Are you ready to go?"

Iota jumped to the door. "Yep. Let's go get breakfast."

Almost the first moment she left the room, she was nearly plummeted by a group of girls rushing through the halls. She pressed herself against the door as she waited for a space to enter the hall. Nella pushed past her and forced her way into the crowd. Iota followed close behind her, not wanting to get separated. She much more preferred it when the Time Ladies had been with them, for no one had dared run into them then.

Soon, Nella and Iota emerged from the dormitory to the small space of the outside between it and the Academy. Iota took a deep breath of air before following Nella again, who hadn't stopped when they reached outside.

Nella stopped. "I don't know if I actually know the way to the dining hall." She looked around them. "I think it's that way." She pointed down one of the halls.

"No. I thought it was the other way." Iota looked down the opposite hall. "Why didn't we just wait until someone else was coming?"

"I thought I knew the way." Nella frowned. "I don't want to have to rely on other people."

Iota crossed her arms. "This is only our second day. It's understandable if you don't know where to go."

Nella's eyes lit up. "Wait! I remember." She began to run down a separate hallway then the ones she and Iota had pointed at. Iota sighed and followed.

A few minutes later they reached the door that two servers stood outside. They smiled at Nella and Iota before opening the door for them. Nella seemed to be buzzing beside her.

Already a few students sat around the room. Theta waved to Iota from his table. Iota saw a few other students who looked Theta's age sitting at his table. One, a girl, looked at Iota with slight disgust. Iota could guess that that was Ushas.

Tirin waved them over from a small table to the side. He pulled two chairs out for them to sit in.

"How are you feeling today?" He asked them as Servers arrived with food.

"Ready for classes." Nella was bouncing in her seat.

"Worried for Nella." Iota laughed, resting her hand on Nella's shoulder in an attempt to calm her. "She seems both nervous and excited."

Nella smiled. "Of course I'm nervous and excited. It's the first day of real classes!" She noticed Tirin. His face was pale and he was focused on the food before him. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just not as excited as you are. And I'm tired." He stuffed his face with food to prevent himself from answering any other questions.

Nella pushed her food away. "Well, I'm too excited to eat."

Iota took a bite of her own food. "You have to eat something. How do you expect to focus if you're hungry the entire class?"

Nella yanked the plate back towards her. "Good point."

The Hunter approached their table, his red robes standing out amongst the black. All three stopped eating.

"Iota Xi." The Hunter nodded to her. "I contacted the one who works on the TARDIS cradle we have here. He looked at it last night and found that the Huon Particles were leaking."

Iota brightened. She had been right. There had been something making the TARDIS sick. "Thank you for telling me." She smiled and nodded.

The Hunter nodded to Tirin and Nella. "I hope you have a good first day. I have a class to teach, so only the Finder will be leading you from class to class today." He left.

Tirin frowned at Iota. "Why did he come tell you about that?"

"When I went into the TARDIS cradle yesterday, I knew something was wrong. I told the Hunter about it and he said he would get someone to look at it. I asked if he would tell me what happened."

Nella nodded. "It's a good thing you noticed something was wrong. From what I know, it's dangerous to have Huon Particles leaking."

-I-

There were notebooks waiting at each of the desks when they entered their first class and a bag folded next to it. Nella followed the crowd of people rushing to the front, while Iota dragged Tirin to sit around the middle. She knew he would prefer to sit in the back.

The professor introduced herself as Artemis before beginning a lecture on Raxacoricofallapatorius. Iota sighed before opening her notebook and beginning to write. It would be difficult to write out the name of the planet.

When the class finally ended, after Iota had felt herself falling asleep multiple times, they were brought to another room a few halls away from the Academy. Nella had continued to walk with Giro and Viru, comparing notes with the twins. Iota shoved hers under her arm, not wanting to think any more about the planet with too many letters. Artemis had told them that in their next class with her they would start on another planet, something Iota was overwhelmingly glad for.

The next class was one of maths. There was a faint warm feeling in her chest as Iota wrote notes, but she didn't understand it at all. The numbers swam before her eyes. She guessed that she was feeling similar to Tirin, who wasn't even attempting to take notes beside her.

The classes were only two hours, something Iota found strange. When she asked Tirin about it, he guessed that it was because the first day wasn't a true class. However, after the two classes, they found themselves heading back to the dining hall for lunch.

Nella came to join them again. "That first class wasn't as exciting as I expected. But I loved the second one."

Tirin grimaced. "Both of them were terrible."

Nella widened her eyes. "Wow. You really don't like it here, do you?"

"Oh, you guessed that, did you?"

Iota pulled Tirin away from Nella. "Don't start fighting."

It made her uneasy to have the three of them sitting at one small table, with Nella glaring at Tirin and Tirin clearly annoyed. But with her sitting between them, it seemed to calm them more.

Braxiatel pulled out a chair across from her, distracting Iota from keeping Tirin and Nella separate. "How have you been, sis?" He smiled.

Nella froze and looked towards Braxiatel. "Hello. I'm Nella. Iota's roommate."

He nodded. "I guessed that." He looked to Tirin. "And who are you?"

"Tirin."

"Nice to meet you both. I've come to check on my sister." Braxiatel turned his attention back to Iota.

"I've been fine." Iota smiled at him. "Thanks for waiting a day before coming."

Braxiatel nodded. "Yeah. Theta came to me looking for you yesterday. I remembered when I first came here and how excited I was to be alone for the first time. I wanted you to have the first day to yourself." He saluted her before pushed the chair back in and walking away.

Nella followed him with her eyes. "You didn't tell me about him."

Iota giggled. "He's seven years older than me."

"Bit old for you then, Nella." Tirin grinned.

Nella blushed. "Shut up!"

-I-

The rest of the day was spent in classes, writing furiously. Iota's hand began to hurt after the first class of the afternoon. She rubbed her hands as they moved between classes, listening to Tirin as he complained about the classes. Iota began to wish he hadn't been there when Ulysses was bringing her to the Academy; she never would have met him then. And then she wouldn't have to listen to him complain.

Iota forced Tirin to sit at one of the tables near the front of the library to begin the work that had been assigned. He frowned and complained the entire time, but Iota managed to get some bits of it finished. She looked up to see Nella, Giro and Viru sitting at their own table. They were in the middle of working, discussing the equations. Neither Theta nor Braxiatel came to save Iota from Tirin, but she did see them working on their own tables. Theta seemed to be more in a conversation with his friends than working.

At dinner the Year sat around one of the larger tables, organized by Remon and Prexitel. Iota found herself separated from both Nella and Tirin, sitting next to Heph Tro. The girl was pleasant enough, though she talked endlessly about Raxacoricofallapatorius. Iota would comment on the food and the girl would turn it into a discussion about the main meals of the planet.

All of them returned to the library afterwards, though this time Nella came over to join Tirin and Iota. At the request of Tirin, Nella stopped talking about the lessons and began to ask Tirin about his family. It allowed Iota to focus on the book she had before her. It described exactly what Huon Particles were and what they did.

Bells reminded them that they should go to bed, so the three said goodbye before separating. As soon as Tirin left Nella launched into talking about the equations. Iota sighed, crossing her arms as she followed Nella back to the dormitory.

Girls stood in the hall, already dressed in their nightgowns. They milled about in the halls. Some compared notes, others talked about assignments and Iota could hear some discussing boys. She couldn't help but wonder which one she would be when she reached their age. She knew she wouldn't want to compare her notes or assignments, and she could guess that she wouldn't want to talk about boys. She would probably be one of those who hid away in her room. Nella would no doubt be caught between all three.

**A/N: This chapter is shorter; I'm so sorry about that! But it's the first day of full classes, so that's something. I hope you enjoyed and it lived up to what you wanted!**

**Of course Nella would find Braxiatel interesting; not only is he extremely smart, but he's also rather attractive (a fact Iota would never describe herself because she isn't a fan of her brother). More will come of a 'friendship' between Nella and Braxiatel; purely academic though.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Henny14: Thank you! You're welcome. Here's the update you asked for :)._

_Teddy bear 007: :)_


	9. Part 1: Chapter Nine

Half of a year at the Academy passed quicker than any of the students could have predicted. Soon, after 5 more days of being lead to the different classes, the students were left to find their own way through the Academy. Nella attempted to learn on her own where to go, but Qurine Lecmic still knew more than she did. As they walked from class to class, Nella rotated from walking with Viru and Giro and talking with Qurine Lecmic.

Tirin began to rely on Iota to remind him of assignments. It was difficult for her, since she tended to also forget. It was only Nella asking how she had answered a question that reminded her. Iota would run to wherever Tirin was working and franticly remind him. He would then sigh, frown and get to work.

Iota woke the day of the half-way point through the year, recognizing the date in the back of her mind. She sat up to see Nella frowning on her own bed, not dressed yet.

"Why aren't you dressed?" Iota asked her.

Nella sighed. "We don't have classes today. Or the two days after."

"Why?" Iota pulled the blanket up to her chest. Though she wasn't as enthusiastic about classes as Nella was, she knew they were meant to have astrology that day. That was the one class she wouldn't skip for the world.

"It's Visiting Day. We don't get to go home though; we have to wait until next year."

Iota frowned. "Wouldn't it make more sense just to let everybody go home at once?"

Nella shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it makes it easier for the professors who bring people home to have less than all the ones who actually live there."

"So what do we do for these days?" Iota stood and began to change; reminding Nella she had to do the same.

"No idea."

Iota turned around once she had dressed and gestured for Nella to take her turn. Nella moved as though it was the worst thing possible to not have classes. The three days would be their first days without classes since entering the Academy. She moved slowly, sighing constantly.

"You know, if you hurry up, we might be able to catch Braxiatel before he goes home." Braxiatel had come to see her a few days before to tell her that he was going home the next visitation day. He wanted to know if she had anything to tell their mother.

Though Nella was seven years younger than Braxiatel, she looked up to him greatly. It was clear Braxiatel was one of the top students in his Year, the position Nella wished for. She wanted to get to know Iota's oldest brother as much as she could, as though being around him would cause her to absorb his knowledge.

With Iota's words, Nella speed up and rushed out of the room before Iota was even finished brushing her hair. Iota had to run out after her, nearly colliding with an older girl who walked past.

Prexitel appeared beside Iota as she made her way to Nella's shrinking figure. Prexitel was the room mate of the two twins Giro and Viru, meaning she tended to feel left out in her room. The twins appeared to have a natural mental bond. According to Prexitel, they wouldn't bother holding conversations out loud, instead speaking inside their heads. She had asked them about it once and they explained it as "I can just hear her in my head".

The twins would always run ahead to walk with Nella, who wanted to speed up how long she had to wait until classes began. Though Iota could tell Prexitel and she wouldn't become friends, they were too different, it was nice to not have to walk alone.

When they reached the dining hall, they found Nella already deep into a conversation with Braxiatel. He seemed to be showing her something he had written down and she was shamelessly bouncing up and down as she listened.

Theta tapped Iota on her shoulder. "How are you going to be spending your day today?" he asked her. He had stopped attempting to find her throughout the day, instead coming to see her a few times at breakfast.

"Comforting Nella because there are no classes."

"And the loss of Braxiatel?" Theta teased, causing Iota to smile.

She giggled. "Perhaps that as well."

Theta looked to Prexitel. "And who's this?"

"Prexitel." She held out her hand for Theta to shake, and he did so. "Iota and I walk to breakfast together."

He nodded. "I'm her older brother." He turned back to Iota, rubbing her hair. "Come find me some point today. Koschei wants to see you."

While she had seen Theta throughout the time so far, Koschei had kept away. According to Theta he was busy with school. Koschei was apparently much more focused on school then Theta was. It made her upset; she did want to see him. Even if he was more Theta's friend then he was hers, she knew they were friends.

Tirin was already sitting at their table, as per usual, and they both watched with amusement as Nella continued talking to Braxiatel. When it was time for him to leave, she looked visibly saddened. Iota had to clutch her hand against her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

Nella glared at her as she walked over. "What are you laughing about?"

"Nothing." Iota let out one last giggle before stopping, turning her attention to the food.

When they finished it seemed to hit all of them that they didn't know what they were going to do that day. People still milled about inside the dining hall, so they knew they didn't have to leave yet. Tirin rolled one of his napkins into a small ball and began tossing it to Iota, who tossed it back. They continued that for a few minutes, with Nella watching the path of the ball. Both Tirin and Iota knew that she was calculating something about the arch of the ball in her head.

Remon came over and pulled a chair out for himself. He had positioned himself directly in the path of the ball, meaning Tirin and Iota had to stop their game and Nella had to be pulled out of her equation mindset.

"As you all three probably know, we don't have classes today." Remon smiled sadly at Nella. "I've talked to a few of the older students and they said we're allowed to go out to the field behind the Academy to spend the day. If you want to go there, Qurine Lecmic is going to be showing the way in a few minutes."

Iota smiled. "Thanks Remon."

Remon nodded goodbye before going off to find some of the other members from their class.

"Do we want to go to the field?" Tirin asked, looking between Iota and Nella.

Iota shrugged. "Sure. Unless you want to do something else, Nella?"

"I might want to go to the library sometime today to get some work done, but it would be nice to be outside for longer than a few minutes at a time." Nella stood and looked around the room. "I can see Qurine Lecmic now." A few students already stood around him. He stood with his eyes closed. Iota guessed that he was reviewing a map of the Academy in his head.

When basically the entirety of their Year had arrived, Remon gestured for Qurine Lecmic to begin. The room was almost empty behind them as they left it. A few older students, with gold sashes, walked alongside. They watched Qurine Lecmic quietly, almost as though they were judging him. When he pushed open the door to the outside world, the group smiled before rushing off to another collection of students in gold.

Everyone seemed to be milling about, mingling for what seemed like the first time Iota had seen them. During classes, everyone was separated into their Year. She had rarely seen the other Novices, except at the library or while eating. For the days off, however, it seemed like they were freer.

Nella, Iota and Tirin began to walk through the field. Tirin, after a few minutes, flopped to the ground. Iota and Nella giggled before falling down beside him. The grass tickled against their skin.

"Let's talk about something." Nella said, rolling onto her stomach.

Tirin moved so that his hands were behind his head. "About what though?"

Iota leaned back against her elbows, pulling her hair from the bun she had automatically put it in. "No idea." She shook her head to let her hair fall over her back. "What games did you play when you were little?"

They had never talked about their childhood. All their conversations had been about school or something Braxiatel had told Nella. It had almost felt like they were trying to shove it away and forget.

Nella took the lead. "I loved to play tag. I live in the Citadel, but we have a humongous hall for the entrance. I would invite the children that lived around me to play and we would run through the hall to try and catch each other." She laughed. "We always end up breaking something."

Tirin smiled. "That sounds like fun. I live in the mountains near Iota, so we have large fields all to ourselves. My older brother and I would run through with some of the kids that live nearby with a ball and kick it between us. We would make small baskets throughout the field and we would try to get the ball into them."

Iota remembered Theta and Koschei playing a game like that with the kids around them. She knew that Tirin lived near them, but she hadn't known he was close enough to play with.

"I would play hide and seek with Theta and Koschei. I used to always be the one who hid while they searched, but the last few times I decided to seek. I found both of them after a few seconds." Iota giggled. "They were impressed."

Nella turned so that she was facing Tirin. "Both our games involve running; want to have a race?"

Tirin smiled and pushed himself up with a jump. "Of course. I love to run." Nella stood and they both prepared themselves for running. "Iota, go stand somewhere over there for us to race too."

Iota smiled and jogged to a point a few feet away before crossing her arms. "Ready! Set! Go!"

Both started to run. Without a contest, Nella reached Iota first. Tirin ran slowly, just slightly faster than Iota's jogging. Nella and Iota burst into laughter as Tirin reached them.

"How on Gallifrey were you so slow?" Nella laughed.

Tirin crossed his arms. "I was one of the fastest in the game."

Nella raised an eyebrow. "Really? I wonder how that's possibly, considering I beat you."

Iota lay back down in the grass as they began to argue. She closed her eyes and sighed as the grass slid against her skin. It wasn't as nice as Koschei's, but it felt wonderful. She hadn't realized how much she missed lying in grass until she was able to do it again.

-I-

"Are you asleep?" There was a faint kick to Iota's leg. She blinked awake. Both Tirin and Nella were leaning over her, their arms crossed behind their backs.

"No, she's awake now."

Tirin frowned. "How did you fall asleep? Didn't you just wake up a few minutes ago?"

Iota pushed herself so that she was sitting. "I used to take naps in the grass at home. I guess my body thought that was what I was doing."

Nella giggled. "You were sucking your thumb."

Iota felt her face turning beat red. She knew she slept like that, since she had woken up multiple times facing the wall with her thumb in her mouth. Nella had stopped needing to wake her up in the mornings, meaning she was able to take her thumb out of her mouth before Nella could see her.

She knew it was strange for someone to still be sucking their thumb at her age. It wasn't normal, but it was comforting. She would start doing it the moments before she slept, not even realizing she was doing it until she woke up. Occasionally, when she was attempting to understand an assignment and getting frustrated, she would find herself sucking. Immediately her hand would shoot out of her mouth as she blushed.

"Don't tell anyone." Iota looked away.

Tirin smiled and pulled her standing. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

Nella began to walk. "We're going for a walk."

"She saw an animal in the distance and wanted to look at it closer." Tirin whispered as they began their walk towards the dark figure in the distance.

**A/N: Visiting Days! Which mean no classes for three days...out of the entire year. The Academy isn't that fun.**

**I kept accidentally typing "How on Earth?" before remembering that they weren't on Earth, meaning they wouldn't say it quite the way we were used to.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Only one more tomorrow before a weekend break!**

**Notes on** **reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: So am I :)_

_Lacuna Everspring: Thank you! I'm glad you're liking it. I think Hogwarts did have a slight influence on this story, at least the Academy section of it :). Thank you for that amazing compliment! Spellchecker has become one of my best friends. I hope you enjoy the next chapters as much as you've enjoyed the ones so far! And thank you!_

_Henny14: Thank you! Here's the next one :)._

_MissMadelineWilliams: Hope this update is to your satisfaction :). Happy primes are mentioned in the episode "42". As the 10th Doctor describes it, it's a number that is both happy and prime. "A happy number is any number that reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and continue iterating it until it yields 1 is a happy number, any number that doesn't, isn't", if I were to quote the man himself. He refers to it as recreational mathematics._


	10. Part 1: Chapter Ten

By the time Tirin and Iota reached the spot where Nella was standing, she stood there alone. She looked visibly upset. "It left before I got here." She mumbled, looking to the ground and kicking it.

Iota squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sorry. Did you get a basic idea of what it looked like, because you can look it up in the library?"

That brightened Nella and her eyes regained their normal spark of learning.

Tirin and Iota managed to distract Nella from the prospect of learning what the animal was for the remainder of the morning. Every time she looked towards the Academy as though she wanted to go to it, they would make a comment that would take her attention away. The two had decided independently that it would be a good idea to give Nella a chance to spend some time away from learning.

Everyone returned to the Academy at once, students from different Years mingling together. Even a few professors walked amongst them. Iota looked around for Ulysses before she remembered he would have returned home.

As soon as they finished eating their lunch, Nella dragged the two of them to the library. While she began searching through the shelves for a book that would discuss what she was looking for, Tirin and Iota chose to sit at one of the tables.

Nella jumped in front of their table. "You two should do any assignments you've been putting off." She dropped a few notebooks and papers onto the table. Tirin swatted them away slightly. "You can use my notes and papers. I've already done everything and I know you still have something to do Iota."

Iota frowned and pulled the papers towards her. "Come on Tirin. Let's get to work."

Tirin sighed loudly. He pulled a small pile of papers to him and yanked the notebook open. He began to read out the assignment, Iota already beginning to prepare working. Nella, even after she found the book she was looking for, constantly leaned over their shoulder and pointed out places they messed up. Tirin soon gave up and began throwing scraps of paper in the air and attempting to catch it.

"Stop that Tirin!" Nella scolded him. "You're going to distract Iota!"

Iota glanced up at the two of them. Nella had her hands on her hips and was glaring at Tirin. Tirin seemed to be ignoring her, continuing to throw the paper. "She's going to get more distracted if you keep interrupting her."

"I'm getting even more distracted by the two of you fighting." She mumbled. She was attempting to write an essay on the economy of Clom, twin planet of Raxacoricofallapatorius. Iota much preferred Clom, since it had so few letters. But she only understood the basics of the economy, making the essay very difficult to write.

It didn't seem as though Tirin or Nella heard her. "I'm trying to help her! You're just chucking paper in the air!"

"You're not helping her! All you're doing is telling her when she misspells something!" Tirin stopped throwing paper in the air, instead standing so that he faced Nella.

"Can you please be quiet?" Iota tried to be heard over their voices, but she was never one to speak loudly. They just continued to speak over her. With a large sigh, she collected her essay and some extra papers, as well as the book describing Clom before making her way past the two and to a table far away.

They noticed about five minutes later, after finally finished arguing, that Iota was no longer sitting there. The two looked around in a circle for a moment before Tirin pointed to the back of Iota. "There she is."

Iota turned around to look at them as they approached. "Are you finished now?"

Nella blushed. "We're sorry. We didn't mean to start arguing."

"But are you finished now? Or are you going to start up again?" She turned around and continued writing. In the space she had been separated from both Nella and Tirin, she managed to write more than she had written before.

"I think so. We don't plan on doing it any more today." Tirin sat next to her and took his own selection of paper. He had barely ten words of his essay, but he lowered his head then and began. Nella sat next to him and began to help him find the facts he needed.

-I-

When dinner arrived, they returned to the dining hall to the large table Remon had commandeered again for them to sit at. They had seen him, Prexitel and Brig in the library as well, working on their own essays. Brig seemed much more focused on the writing however. Prexitel and Remon looked as though they were locked in one of their common debates again.

Remon waved at them as they sat down. "After dinner we can return to the field out back. Apparently there are going to be fire pits for each of the Years." He seemed excited. "It'll be exciting."

Nella smiled. "That sounds amazing. We'll just follow you guys once dinner is over so that we can be together."

"Some professors might even join us." Remon placed a forkful of the food in his mouth. "They tend to join the students on these days when there aren't classes. Almost like we're one big family."

The fact that the teachers would be there seemed to brighten Nella's mood even more. She began to ramble about how she'd be able to get on the professors good sides. Remon smiled and left Tirin and Iota to deal with Nella on their own. They basically let her talk, nodding occasionally when she paused for breath.

Eventually Nella stopped and just began vibrating as she sat. Iota patted her on her shoulder, instructing her that she should eat something. Nella shook her head. "I can't. I'm too excited."

"Maybe we should find someone to check on you." Tirin commented. He was perfectly fine with eating his food. "You seem crazy."

Nella gasped, shooting her hand out to cover Tirin's mouth. "You can't say that! You know what happens to the people reported to be going mad!"

There were stories of it happening. Everyone knew that at least a third of every Year would go mad when looking into the vortex. By the time they left the Academy, at least one sixth of the Year would have been taken away because it would have been discovered they went mad. No one knew what happened to them, but what everyone knew was that there couldn't be insane Time Lords.

If it was overheard that there were suspicions someone went mad, even if it was meant as a joke, the person would go under watch. If any sign supported the theory, the student would be taken away. No one was ever told where the student went, and no one would be allowed to speak of them again. Almost as though the student had vanished off the surface of the world.

Tirin blushed, looking away. "I'm so sorry. I forgot."

"Don't forget again. Please."

Iota was suddenly very glad she sat between them. She felt as if she wasn't there Nella would have attacked Tirin for saying what he had. And if Tirin hadn't apologized, Nella would have attacked Tirin anyways. It was a serious insult to call another student crazy, since it would likely ruin their educational career.

Nella looked around nervously, but no one seemed to be listening to their conversation. Not even the students sitting around them were paying attention. The air between Tirin and Nella seemed charged with some sort of electricity. It was barely halfway through the first year, and already Iota could tell there was a chance her only two friends would separate soon.

All the students who had remained at the Academy left the dining hall as one, laughter and shouts of excitement reaching over the crowd. A few professors, their red robes standing out amongst the black of the students, walked with groups of students.

The Hunter appeared beside Iota. "How has the Academy been treating you?"

She hadn't spoken to him since he had told her that she had been right about the TARDIS. He had been watching her though. She had seen him in the halls and he would always turn to look at her as she passed.

"It's been good so far." Iota felt like she should ask him how his year had been, but she didn't know how to hold a conversation with a professor. Nella had always taken the lead when they meet a professor outside of class, jumping for the chance to get on a professors good side. "How's the TARDIS cradle?" She could remember him saying he listened when someone had a warning about a TARDIS, so she knew he cared about them.

The Hunter smiled. "She's been doing wonderfully. Someone from the TARDIS farms comes more regularly now, since your warning worried them. They don't want something to be wrong that they didn't know about until too late."

The doors to the outside were pushed open by the crowd of people in front of them. The Hunter and Iota were separated, but she managed to stay close to Tirin and Nella. Remon was tall and he constantly looked back to check on his fellow Year members, so they were able to keep up with him.

Night had fallen outside and the moon hung high in the sky. Small fire pits were spread throughout the field, people of the same Years already surrounding their own pits. Remon led them to one far out in the field. They sat around it in a circle, everyone looking around nervously. Not one of them knew what to do.

A Server arrived and leaned over the fire pit. A few seconds later a flame leapt into the air, crackling as the wood shifted.

"Let's tell stories." A small girl, with pale skin and short ginger hair, leaned forward so that the light from the flames leapt across her face. "Nightmare's, even. Does anyone have any good ones?"

Another girl smiled. "Have you heard the myth of the Shakri?"

They all shook their heads. Their parents had all told them that if they were bad the Shakri would come destroy the planet. For some reason, however, the thought of hearing it told by firelight from a girl who's eyes sparkled with excitement overruled the fact they knew the myth already. The first girl smiled. "They're known as the pest-controllers of the universe."

-I-

Professors came around late in the night, when almost everyone was already falling asleep, and announced it was time for them to go to sleep. All the students began to trudge through the Academy. Occasionally, they would bump into something and the students around them would giggle.

As soon as Nella and Iota entered their room, they fell onto the bed without even trying to change. They lay with their faces pressed into the pillows, their room beginning to smell like smoke.

"I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight." Nella mumbled against the fabric. "Not after all those stories."

The girl with ginger hair, who had introduced herself as Fowl, continued to tell stories. She was the only one who still seemed to have her energy. As the night grew later, she only seemed to gain more energy. Her stories grew more elaborate, with hand gestures and a rising voice.

Iota giggled. "You know they aren't real. Those were all myths." She closed her eyes.

"Still. Myths always have some basis in reality." Even when she was as tired as she was, Nella still sounded the same as she did when she was fully awake.

"Well, maybe if you stop thinking about it." Iota could already feel herself falling into the arms of sleep.

"What if it doesn't though? I don't like nightmares." Nella's voice faded away as Iota drifted into darkness.

-I-

It was warm, where ever Iota was. The darkness felt comforting against her skin. There was a faint breeze that pulled on her robe and hair.

A voice sang through the air. It seemed to come with the wind. Iota tripped on the edge of her robe as she began to walk towards the noise. But no matter how far she lifted the skirt, she still tripped. The darkness began to press around her, the song growing loud. It pounded against her ears, making her entire head hurt.

She felt the air pressed out of her lungs. Iota grasped at the darkness as she felt herself pushed down. It pressed her until it hurt. No matter how hard she fought, her voice wouldn't come and she couldn't stand. The song continued until it seemed like it was the only thing in existence.

**A/N: Another hint of what the Academy is like on days when they don't have classes. I can see the Academy as some sort of big strange family no one likes to spend too much time in; unless you're Nella, of course.**

**I hope the section on what happens to Time Lords who go mad makes sense; I can see that happening. It's such a rule based and structured society that it doesn't seem like it would tolerate any person who disrupts it in any way. Especially at a place where you spend 400 years with basically no escape!**

**The Shakri are from "The Power of Three" episode. I love to pull facts, species and quotes in from future episodes since I have such a large collection to choose from.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: I hope you don't mind I didn't say what type of animal it was :). It would have taken away some of Nella's natural curiosity. _

_Henny14: Thank you! I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations!_


	11. Part 1: Chapter Eleven

Iota shot up, breathing heavily. Her vision was covered in large black dots that faded into smaller ones. Her entire body felt frozen and she pulled the blanket tightly around her. She looked to the side to see Nella staring at her strangely, her brush stopped in the middle of her hair.

"Are you alright?" Nella asked, widening her eyes.

Iota nodded as the black dots faded away. "I had a nightmare. I think I'm good now, though."

Nella continued to comb her hair before pulling it back from her face. She giggled. "I was the one who was terrified of the stories, yet I didn't have any nightmares."

"It wasn't because of the stories!" Iota reached for her own robes, running her hands over them. "It was something else." She said the last words quieter.

There was no doubt in her that it wasn't the stories; she had never been one to get frightened by them. Even when Theta and Koschei would try and scare her, she would always laugh it off. The thought of being terrified by stories seemed silly to her.

However, Nella didn't seem to hear her. "You just keep telling yourself that, why don't you."

Iota quickly got dressed, but she didn't bother combing her hair. "Come on. I'm hungry."

Instead of going ahead to find Giro and Viru, Nella stayed with Iota as they made their way to the dining hall. In the back of her mind Iota knew it was only because they were at a different time than normal, for Prexitel was nowhere to be seen.

Theta rushed up to Iota the moment she entered the dining hall. "You forgot to find us yesterday."

Iota widened her eyes as she remembered. "I'm so sorry. Is Koschei fine if I see him today?"

"He is. But I'll have you know he was very irritated yesterday. It was annoying to deal with."

Iota frowned. "Why was he so upset about me not going to talk to him?"

"He wanted to make sure you were getting on okay. He didn't believe me when I told him." Theta glanced back at the table where Iota could see Koschei sitting. He had his arms crossed and was watching Iota carefully. "Make sure you come find us at some point outside today. I don't want to have to deal with him again."

"Don't worry. I'll do it this time." Theta smiled and waved goodbye before heading back to Koschei.

Nella giggled. "I swear, it seems like Koschei and Theta keep switching roles. If someone didn't know the three of you they'd be confused who was your brother and who wasn't."

Iota laughed as well, leading the way to the table where Tirin was waiting. He was already eating, not paying attention to anything around him. "Took you guys long enough." He spoke with food in his mouth.

"Were we really that late?" Nella looked around. "I mean, I know we slept in slightly. But I didn't think it was that late."

There hadn't been any other girls in the hallway outside their room, but they hadn't thought anything of it. Nella had mentioned that they slept in and she hadn't wanted to wake Iota, since Iota looked to be in the middle of a dream.

"You are kinda late, yeah. I mean, the Servers already came around so that means something." He pointed to the two plates of food at their seats. "I got them to save some for you though."

Iota pulled her plate towards her and began to stuff her food into her mouth. For some reason, she was starving. She felt like she was Tirin. The thought made her giggle.

When all three of them finished eating, they made their way to the field. Nella seemed to have figured out the vague direction to go and Tirin and Iota helped actually figure out where to go. Well, Tirin was more of a help. Iota just commented if she didn't recognize where they were, but Tirin just corrected her.

They emerged into the outside world, Nella and Tirin seemed proud of themselves. Iota just complimented them while laughing. She looked around for Koschei, remembering what Theta had told her. Nella seemed to understand and began to look as well.

"There." She pointed towards a small group of students walking. "I think that's him."

As though he heard Nella, Koschei turned around. He rushed over and pulled Iota into a hug, lifting her off the ground. She giggled as he put her back. "Sorry about yesterday. I got distracted." She looked away sheepishly.

Instead of answering, Koschei just hugged her again. "Don't worry. I'm sorry I haven't seen you much so far. Theta told me you were fine, but I wanted to be sure."

"Yeah. He said you're more focused on school work then he is." Iota smiled.

Koschei began to walk through the field, with Iota walking beside. She glanced back to see Theta watching them carefully.

"So how as the Academy been treating you? Everything going alright for you?"

Iota nodded. "It's been going good. Learning things has been kind of fun."

Koschei looked offended at what he said, one hand to his chest in mock surprise. "Kind of fun? How dare you!"

"Nella's been having more fun learning then I am." She nodded to Nella, who was walking with Tirin. "I've been having fun though. It's been interesting."

"Interesting's a better term." Koschei laughed. "So it's been treating you good?"

"Definitely. Some of the people from our Year have taken the job of organizing things and leading us from class to class."

Koschei nodded. "People did that with us as well. It's nice. Theta and I joined the group of top students, so we have to help people with their assignments and such."

Iota widened her eyes. "Theta's in that group? I thought you said he wasn't that into school work."

"He's not into doing the work, but he loves learning. Professors are confused. They don't know what to do with him. He asks about a thousand questions each class that extends upon everything we learned, but fails basically all the tests."

Iota giggled. "Sounds like him. I don't think professors notice me."

"I'm pretty sure a few of them do; at least, they know you're Theta's sister. Or Braxiatel's sister. Or Ulysses' daughter."

She blushed. "Other than that I mean. I'm not that noticeable grade wise."

"This is just your first year; you have 400 years to make a mark."

Iota sighed as she remembered. They would be attending the Academy until they were 408, learning every bit of knowledge in the universe. The only way to leave would be to fail an exam, but that would force you to be banished. A Time Lord who couldn't learn wasn't a true Time Lord, the saying went. Those who failed were treated the same as those who went mad; you never spoke of them.

"Well, you've only been here two years and you've already made yours." She countered, pulling her mind away from the worries of fail. While one sixth vanished because of going mad, one sixth tended to vanish because of failing. One mistake and you could be gone.

Koschei shrugged. "Who knows; maybe by next year you'll have made yours."

Iota laughed. "Unlikely. The only mark I'll make will be by association." She could already tell she wasn't one of the smartest in the Year.

"I heard you looked into the Schism for nine minutes." Koschei glanced away, not meeting her eyes.

She felt the blush that had been fading getting stronger. "What about it?"

"That's almost unheard of. Most people can only look for a minute or two."

"I wanted to look away. But something forced me to keep looking until it felt natural and I turned away on my own." She looked at Koschei carefully. "Why is it so strange?"

He shrugged. "No one knows. All I know is that the Elders watch those who look into the Schism for a long time carefully. Maybe that'll be your mark; perhaps you got a gift from looking that long."

Iota laughed. "I doubt that. I've never heard of someone getting a gift from looking into the Schism."

"Maybe you'll be the first." Koschei grinned. "Now, do you want to keep walking with me or join your friends again?"

Iota glanced back again. Tirin and Nella seemed locked in an argument once more. Though she knew she should go back and attempt to sort it out, she didn't feel like it. "I'll just stay with you, if you don't mind."

She couldn't help but notice he brightened as she said that. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. Tell me something about what the Academy is like for you." She knew he was one of the top students, but she didn't know exactly what it was like. It was clear he enjoyed it. However, she hadn't had a chance to talk to anyone older what it was like for them. The only people she had asked were Tirin and Nella, and they both had opposite answers. Nella loved it, while Tirin hated it.

Koschei launched into a description. Iota had never heard him describe something before, but he seemed to have a way with words. She forgot that they were walking through the red grass behind the Academy. Instead, she felt as though she was walking with him through the classes, feeling everything he felt and feels.

When he finished as the bells rang for lunch, Iota shook her head in shock. "I have to tell you, that was amazing."

This time it was Koschei's turn to blush. "What do you mean?"

"You're amazing with words." Tirin and Nella, along with Theta and his group of friends, were waiting by the door. Koschei and Iota separated into their two groups of friends.

As Tirin, Nella and Iota walked behind them to the dining hall, they could hear bits of Koschei and Theta's conversation.

"I have to tell you, Koschei, Iota seemed latched onto every word you said. What on Gallifrey were you talking to her about?" Theta punched Koschei's arm. The rest of their friends were all smiling, enjoying the conversation.

"I was just telling her what it was like for me at the Academy."

The girl, Ushas, grinned wider than the others. "You best be careful with her. It seemed like she adored you. Maybe in a few hundred years, when she's grown up a bit, you'll find yourself having to fend her off."

Theta widened his eyes. "Don't you dare say that Ushas. That's my sister you're talking about!" Koschei was blushing.

"Well, then you should do a better job at keeping her away from Koschei." Ushas smirked.

Tirin turned to look at Iota with an eyebrow raised. "Do you have any plans in a few hundred years of fawning over Koschei, attempting to get him to love you?"

Iota shook her head feverishly. "No way! We're just friends."

This time it was Nella's turn to smirk. "Gosh Iota. First Tirin, then Koschei. It's only been half a year; pace yourself!"

Both Tirin and Iota blushed deeply, taking large steps away from each other. Nella laughed loudly. It made one of the boys walking with Theta and Koschei turn around, which caused all three of them to go silent.

As soon as they finished lunch, Nella dragged Tirin and Iota back to the library. She shoved her notes at them again. "Get to work." Even though they had finished one of their essays, they still had another to write.

Nella left Iota alone, instead focusing her attention once again on Tirin. It clearly annoyed him, but he said nothing for Iota's sake. Quicker than she expected, she finished her essay on basic Sontaran war tactics. Both she and Nella began to help Tirin.

Even then, it took until dinner for him to finish his own essay. Almost half of the time they spent working on his was taken up by them arguing on if the Rutan tactics made any sense. Tirin drew out an example battle and Iota gave an example of a Sontaran tactic, then Tirin gave a Rutan retaliation. They switched it off, debating who would win with Nella giving the occasional comment.

When they left the library to head for dinner, Iota and Tirin continued their debate by attempting to explain what they were trying to say with their hands. She knew they must have looked exactly like Prexitel and Remon, but she enjoyed debating with Tirin. It felt good to be talking about something relating to school without Nella making a comment. It made her feel like she knew something Nella didn't, as though she was smarter in one sense. Even if she knew it wasn't true.

**A/N: I really wanted to show more closely what Iota and Koschei's relationship is like now. There is what some may call a contrast between their relationship and Iota and Theta's, as their tends to be. But even though Koschei was Theta's friend first, he is friends with Iota.**

**I just had to throw in the playful teasing of Koschei and Tirin by Ushas. It seemed too perfect of a time! Ushas is, by the way, the Rani. I felt like I had to mention another member of Theta and Koschei's friend group, and I chose her. None of the other members play a large role in the story (so far) except Theta and Koschei, of course. It's rare enough a little sister will be friends with one of her older brother's friends; it's even more unlikely she'd be friends with all of them!**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: I can't really write a response to "probably", so you just get a thank you for reading the story!_

_DW (Guest): So sorry my explanation was unclear! They are from the season 7 episode. The Doctor describes them as a myth "to keep the young of Gallifrey in their place". They are also known as, as I said in the chapter, the pest controllers of the universe. If you need me to explain it further, I'd be glad to do so :)._


	12. Part 1: Chapter Twelve

There were no nightmares that night. Iota woke with her hair knotted around her head, her chest heaving as she realized she wasn't in a nightmare; she was awake. Immediately she smiled, feeling her hearts slow. She could hear the faint sound of people moving in the hall outside their room.

With a giggle, she threw her hairbrush at Nella's back, shocking the girl awake. "Iota!" Nella glared at her.

"What?" Iota shrugged. "I didn't want what happened yesterday to happen again. I decided waking you up would be the best thing."

Nella sighed. "Fine." She turned away so that Iota could dress, throwing Iota's hairbrush over her shoulder.

It was a system they had developed. Whoever woke up first got to dress first, the other turning their back. Then they would switch and begin to comb their hair. They wouldn't talk much in the morning; both of them were halfway between being awake and falling back asleep.

When both of them were dressed and their hair no longer birds' nests on the top of their head, the two left their room. Again, like the day before, Prexitel, Viru and Giro were nowhere to be seen.

"We've got to get better at waking up on time when we don't have classes." Nella commented.

"We'll likely get better at it. We do have quite a few years." Unlike before, there were actually people in the hall, so they knew they weren't that late.

Theta didn't ambush them as they entered the dining hall, but he did wave at Iota from his table. She waved back, but Ushas quickly pulled Theta's attention back to their conversation. Iota sighed. She followed Nella over to their table, Tirin already eating like normal.

"Finally, the two of you are awake!" He looked at them with a smile. "Your foods right here." He pointed at the plates.

Nella looked at Iota as though she remembered something. "Your father comes back today, doesn't he?"

Iota's eyes widened as she remembered. Ulysses would be returning just before night fell, after leaving their estate late in the morning. She knew they were going to be doing the fire pits like they had done the two nights before. And she could only hope that he would come to find her, since she knew there was no way she would see him otherwise. He taught students older than her, meaning she would have to wait a few years to have class with him.

Tirin laughed as Iota smiled. "I can tell you're excited."

"Of course I am; it's my father!" Even at the Academy, she saw him as much as she did at home; rarely. She only managed to catch glimpse of him in the halls, but he was always too far away or didn't seem to notice her.

Nella crossed her arms. "Hey, at least you get to see one of your parents during the year. I don't." She had told them that her father worked amongst the government of Gallifrey. Throughout the entirety of her life so far, she had only seen him twice; her birth and the day before she left for the Academy.

Iota looked away. "I'm sorry." Even though Nella had barely seen her father, she looked up to him greatly. It bothered her beyond measure that she rarely saw him.

"It's fine." Nella reached out a hand and squeezed Iota's arm gently. "I'm happy for you."

-I-

Nella managed to convince them to spend the entire day working in the library. She said it would be the perfect chance to attempt to teach them exactly how the maths they had been learning worked. Tirin, for the first time, seemed more excited than Iota. He had managed to grasp the very basics, while Iota had been left in the dark. She had just copied off of his work for the answers during class.

After a few hours of work and quite a bit of fighting, Iota was able to lead the way out of the library proudly saying she would not fail the upcoming test. Well, at least not completely.

The sight of Braxiatel talking with his friends caught her attention the moment she entered the dining hall for diner. One of his friends seemed to notice and pointed, causing him to turn around and wave. She happily waved back before going to her Year's table.

Fowl seemed to be explaining a detail of the story she had told the night before to a girl with curly black hair, who seemed fully engrossed. The story hadn't been as terrifying as the first night, instead one of lovers torn apart by war. All the girls had begun crying instantly, and though the boys pretended not to be affected, they wiped away a few tears of their own.

As soon as they entered the crowd of students, Iota felt someone come next to her. She jumped with a squeal as she saw it was her father, who smiled down at her. She clutched his middle in a hug, the only part of him she could reach.

"I haven't seen you for so long." It had been longer than normal, though still only by a few days.

Ulysses laughed. "I'm sorry about that. But teaching keeps me busy and I had work to do the morning before we left." He looked at her Year, the eight and nine year olds all looking in shock at the professor standing amongst them. "But you seem to be doing well. Do you want to walk with me tonight instead of sitting by the fire with your Year?"

Iota nodded. "I want to tell you what the Academy's like."

"Well, I want to hear it." Gently, he pulled her to the side so that she was no longer nearly vanishing in the crowd. They waited until most of the students had passed before continuing towards the doors. "How are you?" He glanced down at her.

"Good. How are you?"

Ulysses smiled. "Good. Have you made any friends?"

She nodded quickly. "Two. Tirin and Nella. Nella's my roommate."

He looked pleased when she mentioned Tirin. "I'm glad you and Tirin have become friends; he lives much further down the mountain then us, so I didn't know of him until it was time for him to go to the Academy."

Iota was glad there was a reason she hadn't been told about Tirin, though it did confuse her. How could her father not know about every child that lived on the mountains around them? Wasn't it part of his job? "He's nice. And he loves food."

He laughed. They reached the doors to the outside, which he reached over her head to push open. "And what about Nella?"

"She's one of the smartest in our Year. I keep forgetting to do work, so she reminds me."

"It's good that you found someone to do that. I always found myself missing assignments when the teachers assigned them. It didn't help that none of my friends paid attention in class." Ulysses glanced down at her again. "How was the Untempered Schism for you?" Even if he hadn't talked to her during the year, word had immediately gotten to him how long she looked into the Schism. It worried him; most people who looked that long went mad.

Iota had to think for a few seconds before answering. "Strange. There was a voice that was whispering my first name, and another voice singing. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. It was only when I could fully hear what the voice was saying that I was able to turn around." She shivered. "I don't have any plans on going back there."

He smiled. "Not many do." He reached down and gave her a hug, something he felt her smile at. The amount of time she had looked into the Schism made him worried that she might feel a pull to return. It was dangerous to look too long into the Schism, or too often. "But come on; tell me what the Academy is like for you!"

"Difficult." Iota briefly considered lying to her father, but she knew he would be able to tell. It felt better to just tell him the truth. "I'm not good at anything." It was true. In every class she was either failing or just above failing.

Ulysses rubbed her shoulder. "I'm sorry. It'll get better, I promise."

Iota smiled. "I hope so."

"What class are you having the most trouble with?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I'd have to say maths though. I can't seem to understand anything."

"I had trouble with that class as well. That's why I teach language, something I discovered I understood. In time you'll discover your own strong suit."

Iota frowned. As much as she wanted to believe him, she couldn't help but feel he was lying to make her feel better. They had had the basics of practically every unit they would learn about for the longest time and she hadn't been good at any of them.

"I heard you were the one who sensed something was wrong with the TARDIS cradle." Ulysses pulled her away from her thoughts.

She blushed. "Yeah. I don't really understand it, but I sensed that the TARDIS was sick."

"I see you've taken after Penelope then." He smiled down at her. "She always talks about how the TARDISes are alive," he laughed.

Her eyes widened. "But they are!"

Ulysses shook his head sadly. "They're just machines. I know they're grown, but that doesn't mean that they're alive."

Iota crossed her arms, stopping and making him stop as well. "They're alive. I know they are."

He turned to face her, crossing his arms as well. They were a sizable distance from the fires, though the light from the fires reached them. "Iota…"

"Don't tell me they aren't alive! You'll make them mad."

Ulysses held up a hand to stop her. "I won't argue with you anymore, but I am going to warn you. Don't talk like this anymore. They might perceive it as the first signs of you going mad."

Iota, instead of responding, turned and stalked to the fire that her Year sat around. She sat down next to Tirin.

"Everything alright?" Tirin glanced at her, whispering. Fowl seemed to be in the middle of a story about an adventure in a cave.

"Everything's fine. Papa just had to go grade some papers." Even though she hated what he had said, Iota couldn't shake the last few words he had said. She didn't want to be suspected of going mad. She didn't want to figure out what happened to those taken away.

Tirin touched her arm gently. "Are you sure? You look mad."

"I'm fine Tirin." She turned away from him, focusing all her attention on the story. "Stop asking."

Iota felt bad snapping at Tirin, but she couldn't be bothered to apologize. Her head had begun to pound when she was talking to her father, and her eyes had begun to burn once she sat down. The edges around objects blurred for a moment before there was a sharp pain in her head and it all went away.

She didn't know why it had happened. It felt similar to when she had snapped at Nella after they finished the tour of the Academy, but it was different. Her head hadn't hurt as much and her eyes hadn't burned as much. Even then, she didn't like it. It felt wrong. And it made her worried.

**A/N: Uh oh! Somethings up with Iota! Again, she snaps at someone and it's almost an identical feeling as before. I wonder what...**

**I hope you liked this chapter! As I read back through it I noticed how young Iota sounded when talking with her father, but I feel like that would be because she was talking to him. People do change depending on who they're talking to.**

**Thank you for reading! I know this chapter is shorter then others, and I'm sorry about that.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: Honestly, same. But these are Time Lords we're talking about. This is something normal for them. But if it were something I enjoyed, I might be able to do it as well :)._


	13. Part 1: Chapter Thirteen

Nella and Iota made their way back to their room, both attempting to stay awake long enough to make it to their beds. They collapsed onto them, mimicking the nights before.

"It's my birthday tomorrow." Nella mumbled against the pillow, making Iota turn to look at her.

"It is?"

Nella nodded. "I'll be turning nine." She sighed. "But it's not like I can do anything."

Birthdays had occurred throughout the year before. Remon had his a few days after they began, while Prexitel had hers a few days after. They had announced it quietly at dinner and everybody had wished them a good birthday. But there was no party like Iota remembered occurring on her birthdays at home.

Her birthday was later in the year, closer to the end. It made her sad to know nothing would happen.

"We'll figure out something."

Nella laughed. "The only gift I'll get is more work to do."

Iota had to laugh. "Well, you'll like that."

"Yeah, I suppose I would." Her voice faded away until Iota knew she was asleep.

Something in Iota's chest buzzed, preventing her from falling asleep as much as she wanted too. She rolled over, staring up at the ceiling above her. A voice appeared in her head, whispering something. Iota tried to focus her attention on it, only to feel herself pulled into the suffocating darkness.

-I-

Iota jumped awake. Her hearts raced as she looked around. The darkness had come back, pressing on all sides. The buzzing had filled her entirety. She had heard it with every breath she attempted to take and surrounding her in the darkness. She shivered, clutching her arms.

Nella was still sleeping next to her. She hadn't woken yet and she was spread on her stomach on top of the blanket. She was still dressed in her robes from the day before. Iota looked down to see she was the same. They hadn't bothered to change.

She briefly considered throwing her brush at Nella to wake her, but when she looked at her shaking hands she decided against it. She didn't normally have dreams twice. Especially nightmares. Those had always come once before. So why did this one come back? It was different, but she knew they were related.

A few minutes later, as noises just began coming from outside in the hall, Nella blinked herself awake. Iota had already changed her robe, but she had done it slowly. "Why didn't you wake me up?" Nella glanced over.

"It's your birthday; I thought I'd let you sleep a bit more." Iota only remembered at that moment what the day was.

Nella smiled. "Thanks for that." Then she noticed how Iota still shook, even though it was slight. "Are you alright?"

Iota waved a hand. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Just had another nightmare."

"You sure you're fine?"

"Completely fine. Now you get dressed. We have to class and get your 'gift'."

Nella laughed. "Oh right. My gift of getting assignments."

Iota forced herself to take a breath. She knew it was silly to be so affected by the dream. It was only a dream; why couldn't it happen twice? There was nothing wrong with that.

Nella skipped out of the room, gesturing for Iota as she clutched the bag that carried the notebooks they would need for the classes that day. Iota took another breath before taking hers and following. For the first time in a few days Viru, Giro and Prexitel were walking down the hall. Nella waved to them. Viru and Giro smiled, the two of them as excited as Nella was about classes.

Prexitel smiled at Iota when she reached her. "Ready for classes today?"

"Of course I am." Honestly, she was excited. Nella had grabbed her astrology notebook, so Iota knew they would be having that class. And after telling her father she wasn't good at anything they had learned so far, she wanted to learn the thing she loved to learn about. In no way was she good at it, but she loved to look at the star maps the professor had in the front of the class.

Prexitel raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Iota laughed faintly. "Really. Are you?"

"Of course!" Prexitel began to discuss exactly what she was looking forward to in the day. Iota had noticed she tended to do that, get distracted and just begin talking, going from thought to thought. She never would pause to let Iota put anything in. Iota didn't mind, however. It let her mind go somewhere else to think.

She did feel bad for Nella. It was sad to not be able to celebrate her birthday. One of the people in their Year, a boy named Drana, had had their birthday on the second Visiting Day. That would mean half of the time he would get to celebrate at home. It wasn't fair. She almost wished they would have a day off on their birthday, but there was no way the Academy would allow it. Education was too important.

There was a crowd of people in the hallway outside of the dining hall, all trying to make their way inside. They waited until most of the people had left before walking in. Nella rushed ahead to Braxiatel, who stood waiting for her. He held a paper in his hand. Iota could faintly hear their conversation when she walked past.

"A professor found me last night and gave me this." He held the paper out to her. "It's an equation he wanted to know if I could solve. I wanted to see if you could."

Nella grabbed the paper from him, looking over it. "How long do I have to work on it?"

"As long as you need. I just want to see if you can solve it." Braxiatel waved goodbye to her before going to his own table. Nella rushed over to Iota, still looking at the paper.

"This is an even better present then an assignment from a professor." She looked up with excitement. "I hope I'll actually be able to solve this."

Tirin looked up from the table. "Present?"

"It's her birthday." Iota told him, Nella too focused on the equation to answer. She had taken a paper and a pen from her collection and was already attempting to solve it. "She's nine today."

"Happy birthday."

Nella only nodded vaguely. "Be quiet. I'm working."

When they walked to their first class with Qurine Lecmic leading them, Nella separated from the group completely. She wrote furiously the entire time. Tirin and Iota glanced at her occasionally.

"Where did she get that paper anyways?"

"Braxiatel gave it to her. Apparently a professor gave it to him last night and he wanted to see if she could solve it."

Tirin glanced at her. "Will she be able to focus on classes today? It seems like she thinks that's more important."

"This is Nella we're talking about, Tirin. She'll take notes and pay attention in class while also solving it in her head."

Tirin laughed. "Of course she will."

When lunch arrived a few hours later, Nella finally took a break from the equation. She showed the paper to Tirin and Iota and they discovered she was, they guessed, a fourth of the way through. At the time they spent in the library working, she was a third of the way through.

Braxiatel came over to their table, pulling out a chair to sit at. "How have you been doing?" He asked Nella, who rushed to show him what she had done. "This is pretty good for a First Year Novice."

Nella blushed. "Thank you."

"No, I mean it. I told the professor who gave it to me that I had finished, but I was letting you try. He was doubtful, but I'm going to tell him you're already a third through. He might come and find you during dinner to make certain." He handed it back to her and left, rubbing Iota's head as he passed.

Nella was unable to focus on the work they had been assigned the rest of the time they had to do assignments. She shoved her work away, instead working solely on the equation. Tirin and Iota went silent. They worked on their own equations, though they knew they were nowhere near what Nella was attempting.

It annoyed Iota slightly that Braxiatel hadn't appeared to consider giving the equation to her. She knew, just from glancing at Nella's work, that there was no way she could have even begun to understand. But it hurt that he hadn't bothered to let her try. He had taken Nella, a girl he never would have heard of had it not been for Iota, and taken her under his wing. He had given her steps up in the world of the Academy, almost guaranteeing she would succeed in the future.

But he hadn't helped Iota. He had written her off as someone not worth helping. His own sister and he didn't bother. She wouldn't have minded if he had been like Theta. Theta didn't offer help to anyone. He kept to himself in terms of the Academy and helping others get in good graces. But Braxiatel was helping someone. And he had only rubbed her head.

He hadn't apologized, just smiled down at her like she was a stupid child to feel sad for. Which, she supposed, she was. But it didn't make it any easier.

-I-

They were eating dinner, Nella taking another break from the equation, when Tirin squinted across the hall. "There's a professor coming towards us."

Nella jumped around, scanning the crowd. "Do you think it's the one Braxiatel got the equation from?"

"Well, it's not the Hunter or Ulysses, the only two professors who come up to us outside of class." Tirin shrugged, turning back to his food. Iota pushed her food around on her plate. She didn't feel hungry anymore.

"Are you Nella?" The professor asked, looking down at Nella.

She nodded quickly. "Yes, I am."

The professor scanned her up and down. "I am the Found. Are you the one Braxiatel gave the equation too?"

Nella pulled the paper from the pile instead of answering. She handed it to the Found. Even when sitting a few inches away Iota could hear Nella's hearts pounding.

The Found pulled a pair of glasses from the top of his head. He scanned the paper, his eyebrows rising as he looked it up and down. "This is good; I'm impressed." He handed the paper back to her. "Not normal that I can say that. When you've believed you've finished, come find me. If you have and are correct I'll introduce you to other professors."

Students normally only met professors through classes. Professors came to the students and it was greatly frowned upon for students to attempt to talk to a professor without their permission. It was a great honor to be introduced to professors. It meant the one doing the introducing felt you were worth something.

Nella turned back to look at Tirin and Iota. Her hands were shaking. "This is the best birthday I've ever had." She whispered.

Tirin smiled. "I'm glad for you."

Iota glanced up at her, smiling weakly. "Me too." The professor had stared at her for a second, but she knew it was likely only because of her father. Or how long she had looked into the Schism. Nothing that would truly mean anything to professors.

Nella left the dining hall, returning to their room in order to work on the equation more. As soon as they were alone Tirin turned to Iota. "Are you jealous of Nella?" he asked bluntly, making Iota blush.

"No. Of course I'm not. I'm proud of her." Iota turned to Tirin. "What made you think I was jealous?"

"You didn't sound proud of her at all. And you looked sad. You don't normally look sad. So I knew something was wrong."

Iota looked away. "Nothing is wrong. I'm just tired." She didn't want to admit to Tirin what she thought. She knew he would be mad at her and would probably tell Nella. Then both would be mad and she would have lost both of her friends in one go.

As upset as she was about Braxiatel, she wasn't going to risk her friendship.

**A/N: Of course, getting an equation would be the perfect birthday present for Nella. The Found is the first of many professors, so Nella has a pretty good time at the Academy.**

**Poor Iota. She's feeling a bit angry/sad about Braxiatel. But, of course, she's cares more about Nella.**

**This was the first glimpse at what birthdays are like at the Academy. All of our main three's are going to be different the first time, and then the other times they won't be described as much.**

**Notes on** reviews:

_Teddy bear 007: I'm so happy my writing makes you so happy! That's an amazing compliment, thank you. I hope this chapter makes you smile just as much as all the others :D._

_Henny14: Thank you! Hope this update lives up to your expectations!_


	14. Part 1: Chapter Fourteen

The force of someone shaking her pulled Iota from her dream forcefully. She looked up to see Nella standing above her with a large smile on her face.

"Guess what?"

Iota blinked. She searched her mind for what Nella could be referring to. "What?" Nella shoved a piece of paper towards Iota's face. Frowning, she took it. The numbers and letters swam before her eyes. "I'm so sorry, but I have no idea what it is. I did just wake up."

Nella nodded furiously. "It's the equation Braxiatel gave me yesterday. I think I've finished." Iota cringed as she mentioned Braxiatel. She could remember what she had thought the day before, as she watched her brother give Nella steps up in the Academy. It made her feel terrible to remember.

"That's great." Iota sat up, forcing Nella to move back and sit on her own bed. "Are you going to show it to the Found at breakfast?"

Nella yawned before answering. "I think so."

"Did you stay up all night working on it?" When Iota had returned to the room at night, Nella had been scribbling on multiple pieces of paper. Iota had kept silent as she got prepared for bed; she could tell it would be a bad idea to interrupt her. As she had drifted off into sleep she had heard Nella's pen scratching away.

"Not all night. I think I slept a bit."

"You do remember we have other classes today, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I'll be fine, don't worry."

Iota raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I believe you."

"I'll rest while you get changed, how about that?" Without waiting for an answer, she fell to the side and immediately began snoring. Iota stared at her for a second before changing and brushing her hair, listening to the sounds outside.

When the sounds had reached their normal levels, Iota gently shook Nella awake. The girl curled away, swatting at the air.

"You have to wake up. Remember that equation?" That shot Nella out of bed.

"Do I look alright?" She asked franticly, clutching Iota's arm. When Iota nodded she sighed. "Can you stay with me when I go see him?"

Iota was tempted to say no. The professors would only stare at her strangely, wondering why she was there if they didn't ask for her to be. She would have to watch closely as Nella most likely received praise for what Braxiatel had given her. But Nella looked frantic, and Iota knew that as much as she wanted it, there was no way Nella was going to talk to the Found alone.

"Sure. Don't worry; I'll be there."

Without another word, Nella pulled Iota from their room, leaving Iota to grab their bags franticly. She was thankful that Nella had taken the liberty of organizing them at some point in the night. It was likely otherwise they would be heading to classes with nothing.

There was no crowd of people shuffling into the dining hall that morning, and no Prexitel, Giro or Viru making their way through the hall. Not that Iota thought Nella would separate from her if they were.

The Found sat at one of the larger tables, surrounded by other professors. He looked up when Nella and Iota entered, glasses perched on his head. Nella took a deep breath before pulling Iota over to the table. As they neared, the table of professors went silent, save for a few that were talking to students of their own. A few steps away Nella separated from Iota, letting Iota stay still.

"Good morning, Nella." The Found nodded to her.

Nella held the paper out with a shaking hand. "I believe I've finished, Professor."

He pulled his glasses from his head onto his nose and took the paper from her, looking it over carefully. The two professors on either side leaned over to look as well. Even from behind Iota could see that Nella was vibrating with nervousness.

The Found raised his eyebrows, smiling slightly as he looked back up to Nella. "This is not completely correct, but it is impressive for a First Year Novice." He handed the paper back to her before turning to the two who had been reading the paper along with him. "The Seven, Mary," he gestured to each of them in turn, "this is Nella."

Mary smiled at her, gesturing for the paper. Nella handed it to her and Mary read it through quickly. "The Found is correct; this is impressive. He said you're a First Year Novice, correct?" Nella nodded. "If you were to work on this for a little bit longer, I have no doubt you'd get this."

Out of the corner of her eye, Iota noticed the Hunter watching her. He leaned to the side and whispered to the professor who sat next to him. That professor nodded to her before gesturing towards her. Iota took a few steps towards them.

"Are you Iota Xi?" the professor asked. Iota nodded, bracing herself for them to comment on her father or brothers. "The Hunter just told me you were the one who told him about the TARDIS cradle and the particles."

The professor looked at her as though he expected her to acknowledge his statement. Iota sifted. "I am."

"I am Percy." He smiled at her. "Both the Hunter and I pay attention to students who show any type of bond with TARDISes."

The Hunter nodded. "Normally, there is one child per Year. They tend to come from families who work in the TARDIS farms, meaning they've grown up among them their entire life. As you know, those communities are small, which explains the small amount of students with a bond." He frowned. "But you, however, are not."

"Your mother, Penelope, is." Percy began to explain. "But she never showed a bond with the TARDISes. She cared for them, as her entire family did, but she never showed any special connection. Have you ever visited the TARDIS farms, Iota Xi?"

Iota nodded. "When I was five. My mother brought me, my brother Theta Sigma and Koschei." She didn't like referring to Theta is his full name, much like she didn't like to be referred to by hers. But Theta and Iota were more nicknames then names themselves and it would have felt strange to use them with a professor she just met.

"Could you tell anything was wrong with the TARDISes then?" The Hunter asked. "Any similar feeling to the one from when you went into the TARDIS cradle?"

Iota shook her head. "There was nothing different to me about seeing them except that my mother's family was there."

Percy and the Hunter leaned together to discuss something. She could faintly hear what they were saying. "It is possible that it was just because there was nothing wrong with them." Percy whispered.

The Hunter seemed to laugh. "As if. Even I know the farmers can't have every TARDIS completely fixed the all the time. She likely just wasn't able to 'sense' the TARDISes then."

"Then what? Did age activate it?" Percy scoffed.

The Hunter reacted as if he realized something. He turned to look at Iota. "How long did you look into the Schism?"

"I've been told nine minutes." Iota felt herself beginning to blush. "I don't know personally though."

Percy nodded. "Thank you Iota Xi. We have to discuss something, so you are able to leave."

Iota nodded goodbye before looking to where Nella stood. She was still talking with the professors, the Seven explaining something to her. She didn't seem to need Iota anymore. With a sigh Iota made her way over to Tirin.

Tirin laughed as she sat down next to him. "Great. Now both of you are getting professors talking to you outside of class. What made you two so special?"

The blush that had been forming arrived in full force. "Nella needed support when she showed the result of the equation to the Found. The Hunter and another professor named Percy started asking me about the TARDIS cradle."

"Well, at least it wasn't about your brothers or father." Tirin fingered some of his food. "I mean, it's better that it's about something you actually did, right?"

Iota laughed slightly. "Yeah, I guess so."

Nella slid into the seat across from Iota. Her eyes were bright with excitement and she no longer looked like she had spent the entire night awake. "They said they would talk about it and would likely give me something else to attempt later." She sighed, staring at the ceiling. "I'm so glad Braxiatel gave me that equation."

Both Tirin and Iota giggled, looking at each other out of the corners of their eyes. Thankfully, Nella didn't appear to notice.

Braxiatel walked up a few moments later. "I saw you talking to the Found. Did you solve the equation?"

"I did, but I didn't get it fully correct. They're going to talk and maybe give me something else." She turned and smiled up at him. "Thank you so much for giving me that paper."

He waved a hand dismissively. "I'm glad it went well for you." Before leaving, he rubbed Iota's hair in passing.

She had been talking to a professor as well; two of them. And they had called her over. In front of the entire dining hall. Didn't he notice her? She was his sister. Though she supposed the reason the professors had wanted to talk to her wasn't as impressive as why they wanted to talk to Nella. Nella's was because she showed promise in the Academy. Iota's had just been because she said something was wrong with the TARDIS cradle. Not nearly as impressive.

They were unable to shake Nella from her state of amazement the rest of breakfast. She did eat, but as though it was just something she did automatically. They had to pull her out of the chair so they could go to class.

As soon as they stepped into their first classroom Nella seemed to snap back into the world. She rushed to the front of the room, pulling her bag from Iota's hands as she went. Both Tirin and Iota watched with surprise.

"Well, I guess this is better than before." Tirin commented as they slid into their normal seats at the back of the room. "At least now she's acting like her normal self."

"Yeah, I guess." Iota watched Nella from above. There was a yearning in her chest to go and join Nella, to be near the front while the professor lectured in order to get the full purpose of what she was saying. Iota blinked. It wasn't normal for her to feel like that. She normally was perfectly happy to stay at the back with Tirin.

But there, her chest burst with warmth and she felt herself leaning forward earnestly.

"What are you doing?" Tirin whispered. He knew they weren't supposed to talk during classes. Joni, a boy who sat near the back, had done it at the beginning of the year and they had been escorted out quietly, only to appear later in the day looking pale.

Iota didn't look at him. She was still processing what was happening in her head. It felt like she hadn't acted by choice, but it felt right. There was a burst of something cold in her chest and she fell back. The feeling had vanished. She blinked.

"Are you alright?" Tirin whispered again.

Iota glanced at him, blinking. "I'm fine, yeah."

The professor glanced up from the front, but didn't say anything. Iota could feel her eyes on them for the rest of the class. Every moment Iota adjusted herself she knew the professor was following it. She supposed it was a good thing that the professor only watched instead of calling them out for talking. She didn't want to discover what Joni had seen.

Throughout the rest of the day Tirin watched Iota closely. It felt stranger to have his eyes on her then it did the professor's. Constantly, she felt the urge to slap them away as though they were bugs. It was only at dinner, when Iota was forced to attempt to shake Nella from a thoughtful trance so that she could eat that he looked away.

**A/N: Bursts of warmth and cold in Iota's chest? That can't be good! Something's happening with her...hm.**

**On a happier note, Iota got recognized by two professors! And it was for something she did herself rather then one of her brothers or her father. Very impressive for her. But, of course, being at the Academy means she doesn't think TARDISes are as important as the academics Nella excels at.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: Yey! I'm so glad you enjoyed it :). Hopefully you have people like the Hunter and Percy helping you realize what you're amazing at, just like Iota. We're all good at something; a statement Iota still needs to learn._

_Henny14: That is such an amazing compliment! Thank you so much! I literally got up in my room and danced around in a circle :D. Hope you like this chapter!_


	15. Part 1: Chapter Fifteen

A few days later Nella had finally calmed down from the professors and Braxiatel. However, Iota and Tirin only had a day with their friend back in full focus when the Found came up to their table during a dinner. The entirety of their Year was sitting there and they all turned to watch as the Found handed Nella a paper.

"Try this problem. Come to me when you're done." He nodded and left. Remon leaned forward in his seat across from Nella.

Remon's eyes were wide. "Why did that professor give you that paper?"

Nella blushed. "Iota's older brother, Braxiatel, gave me an equation that a professor had given him for me to try. I showed it to that professor and he said he might give me something else later." She looked down at the paper. "I guess he did."

Almost half the table burst into smiles. They all began congratulating Nella, making her blush even more. The other half had returned to their food, pushing it around on their plates. Iota wanted to congratulate her since she was proud of Nella. But she felt strange.

The anger that Nella had professors giving her work to prove herself with burned in Iota's chest. It itched under her skin and she felt like she was getting warmer. Her blood felt like it froze in her arms. Quickly, before she spat out the words that bubbled in her mouth, she pushed her chair away.

"I don't feel that good. I'm going back to our room." She mumbled, but Nella didn't seem to hear what she said.

As Iota walked away she felt a sharp pain in the tips of her fingers. Shaking, she began to rub her hands. When she reached her room she sat on the edge of her bed. She began to hear her hearts in her ears.

In the back of her mind, Iota couldn't help but worry that whatever was happening to her was because she was going mad from the Schism. No one had ever recorded what happened when you went mad. For all she knew, it was exactly what was happening to her.

It was that thought that terrified the worrying feelings out of her. She felt them rush out of her with her next breath. The action made her feel empty and she began to yearn for them to come back. But that thought only made her mentally slap herself and search in her bag for the work she knew she still had left to do for the next day.

That was one good thing she had discovered about the workload at the Academy; it was a good distraction.

-I-

One morning, as Nella led the way into the dining hall discussing a new development she had discovered in the problem she had been given (she had decided being correct and getting sleep was more important than getting it finished fast), Iota noticed Tirin.

He was sitting as he always was at their table, but that morning he wasn't touching the food that was before him. Iota poked Nella in the arm, making her stop and look towards Tirin as well. Iota rushed to him.

"Tirin?" He looked up as she sat down. "Are you alright?"

Tirin shrugged. "It's my birthday today."

Nella gasped. "Oh my gosh! Happy birthday." She squeezed his arm from her seat next to him. "You're nine today, right?"

He sighed. "Yeah. I just wish I didn't have to go to any classes today. That would make this a better day."

"We can try and do something." Iota rested her hand on his shoulder. He tilted his head to smile at both of them in turn.

Though she had been happy on the day that Nella had automatically had a good birthday, it struck Iota then that she had no idea what to do for Tirin. Her mother had always taken care of the birthday preparations at home, just telling her to wish whichever person the preparations had been for a happy birthday. Even then, they barely did anything.

She had no idea what to do for someone's birthday.

And by Nella's expression that Iota could see out of the corner of her eye, Nella didn't know either.

"Thanks."

As they walked to class, Iota and Nella let Tirin move ahead. Nella leaned over so that Tirin wouldn't hear her whisper. "What are we going to do?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea. What does Tirin like?"

"I know as much as you!"

They both knew he liked to run. He wasn't particularly good at it, but he enjoyed it. The only other thing they knew was that he didn't like the work. The rest of the time they had spent together was filled with work and sitting in silence because they were too tired to do anything else.

Nella's eyes lit up. "I have an idea. But it may get us kicked out of the Academy."

Iota started. She blinked; was she completely certain that it was infact Nella standing next to her? The Nella she knew would never suggest something like that.

"What is it?"

They had to stop their conversation because they had reached their classroom, but immediately upon leaving Nella started it up again.

"What if we were to go out to the field behind the Academy to let him have practice running?" Nella rested her hand on Iota's arm.

Even though Iota immediately knew it was a dangerous and terrible idea to attempt to do as Nella suggested, she knew it would make Tirin happy. Even if they failed Tirin would appreciate it.

"Should we ask Qurine Lecmic how to get to the field without getting caught?" Iota nodded as she spoke. "I mean, he has to know, doesn't he? He knows everything about getting around the Academy."

Nella grinned widely. "I thought so too. We can ask him after lunch."

Tirin glanced back at them, making them step apart and pretend they hadn't been speaking. He looked at them strangely before turning away. They didn't risk talking for the rest of the time to the class, though both of them buzzed with nervous energy. The idea of what they were planning to begin to attempt was enough to excite them beyond belief.

As soon as lunch arrived it took everything in Nella and Iota's strength to not begin discussing their plan right away. Tirin eyed them carefully, watching as they exchanged glances throughout the entire meal. They knew they were being obvious with the fact that they were planning something.

Even though Iota had already begun to think of every small thing that could go wrong with their plan, she had watched Tirin become more and more saddened as the day went on. It was only halfway through the day and he was already hunched over with his arms crossed over his chest. He kept his eyes focused on the floor except for when he would look at Nella and Iota with confusion.

It would have made Iota feel bad for him even if she wasn't his friend. And it made her want to work even harder to make their plan work.

Nella and Iota let themselves blend into the crowd as they went to their next class. Nella was taller, so she was able to spot Qurine Lecmic and rush over to him.

"Hey Qurine Lecmic." Nella smiled down at him. The boy looked up at her in confusion. He tended to keep to himself, only talking to other people when giving them directions.

"Hello Nella." He leaned forwards slightly so that he could see Iota. "Hello Iota."

She waved back. "It's Tirin's birthday today." She felt strange to be the one to start the conversation. Nella had always been the one to begin.

Qurine Lecmic raised his eyebrows. "And?"

"We were wondering if you'd be able to help us get out to the field behind the Academy without getting caught tonight instead of the time we normally spend doing work in the library after dinner." Nella whispered to him, looking around to make sure no one was listening.

Almost immediately Qurine Lecmic's face morphed into a mischievous smile. "So you want to break the rules? I wouldn't have guessed that of you, Nella. Since you're basically some of the professors' prodigy."

"We wanted to give Tirin some sort of gift for his birthday to make him feel better." Nella explained.

Qurine Lecmic crossed his arms, resting one hand under his chin as he thought. "Give me until after the next class. I'll have a map drawn out for you."

Nella turned to smile at Iota, and when she turned back Qurine Lecmic was gone. She giggled and looked back at Iota. "So, we've got that part of it figured out."

"Well, the first part of that part. We have to actually get the map first. And make sure we can understand it." Iota pointed out.

Nella sighed. "Don't remind me of that. I'm going to pretend that it's going to work perfectly and Tirin's birthday is going to be amazing."

They entered the classroom and Iota was forced to watch as Tirin slid down in his chair slowly. He crossed his arms tightly and barely seemed to bother with writing notes. In the moments that the professor turned away to write something on the board, Nella would turn in her chair to check on Tirin. Iota cringed every time she did so, expecting the professor to catch Nella and ruin their plan.

Qurine Lecmic rushed over to them the moment they left the classroom. Nella and Iota drifted away from Tirin quickly, letting the crowd separate them. Qurine Lecmic held out the paper he clutched, smiling. "I think this will work."

Nella snatched it from him, showing it to Iota as she looked. The map was very roughly scratched out but it seemed to make sense to Nella. She nodded, letting her eyes skim the paper. "This is amazing. Thank you so much."

"Please. That's one of the easiest maps I've ever drawn out. You're lucky; professors don't tend to wander through the Academy. They spent the nights grading or planning assignments."

Iota raised her eyebrows. "How do you know that?"

Qurine Lecmic held a finger to his lips. "A magician never reveals his secrets." With a smirk that looked strange on his small face he drifted away into the crowd. Nella folded the paper and slid it into her bag.

"I really want to tell him now," Nella whispered. "He looks so sad."

"We can't!"

Nella frowned. "Then when can we tell him? It's not like we can do it during dinner; the entire Year sits together then. There's no way to talk without someone hearing."

"We can tell him at the end of the study session before dinner." Iota nodded as her mind began to form the situation. "Just before we go to dinner, but after we've done some work."

Nella brightened. "That sounds amazing."

-I-

Throughout the entire time they worked on their assignments, Nella and Iota watched Tirin closely. He furiously wrote and ignored anything the two girls said. Iota kept cringing. She felt so bad. Desperately, she hoped that he didn't think they had completely forgotten his birthday.

Nella and Iota made eye contact as they stood. With wide smiles on their faces, they moved so that they blocked Tirin's path.

"What are you guys doing?" Tirin frowned, clutching his bag to his chest.

"We have a gift for your birthday." Nella began bouncing like she always did when excited.

"Um…okay?"

Iota stepped forward. "We got Qurine Lecmic to give us a map to get to the field behind the Academy without running into any of the professors."

"We know you love to run, and we wanted to help you have a way to work harder on it whenever you want to at the Academy."

Tirin's eyes widened until they filled his face, his mouth falling open into an 'o'. "Are you guys saying what I think you are?"

"I think we are."

Immediately he leapt forward and wrapped his arms around them. He held them tight. "Oh my gosh, you just saved my day."

Iota smiled against Tirin's shoulder. She felt a burst of warmth in her chest at the thought Tirin would have a good first birthday at the Academy, the one place he didn't want to be.

They pulled away and Nella handed the map to Tirin. As he looked it over Iota looked around the room to make sure no one was watching them. She saw Qurine Lecmic out of the corner of her eye, watching from behind a bookshelf, but she knew he wouldn't say anything. That boy seemed to love excitement and trouble. It was almost worrying.

**A/N: And today it is Tirin's birthday! Nella was lucky enough to have an automatically happy one with Braxiatel, but, of course, Tirin's couldn't be so simple.**

**Birthday celebrations in this story are determined by the families rather then society at a whole. Iota's family doesn't view birthdays as that important so they don't celebrate it as much. She doesn't know how to celebrate any.**

**But again, something's wrong with Iota at the beginning of the chapter! What is going up with her, I wonder. She has to keep it secret though, because any suspicion could get her taken away for good.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: You seem very awesome from what I've seen in your reviews. I bet you're even awesomer (is that a word?) in person._

_DW (Guest): Yey! That's good! Thank you! Hopefully you like this chapter just as much!_

_Henny14: Thank you! Hope you like this update!_

_Ithyl: Thank you so much! I'm so glad to hear that you like Iota. I love to read about Theta and Koschei too, but I still haven't been able to find many amazing stories. Do you have any you would recommend?_


	16. Part 1: Chapter Sixteen

Dinner was spent exchanging glances and Nella reaching to touch her bag to make sure she could still feel the paper. Iota could feel the nervous energy passing around the three of them. If she focused, she could almost convince herself she could see the blue lightning bouncing back and forth.

When the time came for dinner to end, Nella, Iota and Tirin waited until everyone was beginning to head towards where they wanted to go. They followed the group returning to the library before breaking off outside the library door.

Nella pulled the paper out of her bag, unfolding it from the small square she had forced it into. She ran her finger over the marks. "Okay I think I know where to go." With a nod, she began to make her way through the hall. Iota glanced at Tirin with a smile before they both began to smile.

They quickly discovered it was difficult to walk silently through the Academy. Something about the floor and their shoes made a clicking sound when they collided. Nella constantly looked back to Iota and Tirin and held a finger to her lips, even though she was having as much difficultly as they were. Iota knew that so far, they weren't breaking any rules. They could easily tell the professors that they were returning back to their dormitory. It was after they entered the hall which led to the field that they would have a problem. There was no way even Koschei could talk his way out of that.

Nella paused in the doorway to a hall, squinting down at the paper. She flipped it over before squinting even more.

"Is everything alright?" Iota whispered to her. She glanced around them as she did so. They had reached a point in the hall where there was no one around.

"I don't think I understand this part." Nella flipped the map over again. "This looks like it says we should be somewhere completely different. I think it says we should be on the other side of the Academy."

Tirin's eyes grew wide. "But you followed everything else right, didn't you?"

Nella nodded. "Yeah, I did." She flipped it again. "I think I'm just reading this part wrong."

"Even if we're supposed to be on the other side, what does it say we do next?" Iota prompted, knowing it was the only way to break Nella from her trance of flipping and squinting.

Nella shook her head slightly. "Go into the hall and go to the fourth door on the left, turn right and go down that hall, through the door on the right at the end and walk straight through a few more halls. Then you should be at the proper door."

Tirin nodded. "Can we do that here? Like is there a fourth door on the left that we can go through?"

Instead of answering right away, Nella walked into the hall and turned to the left. She looked up and down the wall, counting the doors as she went. She bit her lip before walking up to a door and trying the handle. It opened. All three let out the breaths they didn't know they had been holding.

"Follow me."

A few minutes later they found themselves standing in front of what Nella claimed was the final door. They looked up at it, Nella holding one hand out as though she was about to open it.

"You ready?"

Tirin nodded, even though he knew Nella couldn't see him. "Yeah." Without meaning to, he let his hand slide into Iota's. She jumped at the contact before squeezing it. His hearts were pounding.

Without another word Nella opened the door. All of their faces lit as they stared out at the red grass that spread for miles behind the Academy. Tirin let his hand separate from Iota's, running into the grass and breathing deeply.

He sighed. "Okay, this is amazing. You two are amazing." He pointed at both of them. "This may be one of the best birthday gifts I have ever gotten."

Nella raced past him, spinning as she did so. "Come on, Tirin. I'll teach you a few tricks. We have until it gets dark."

As Nella began searching for ways to mark positions in the grass, Iota fell onto the ground and crossed her legs. With a sigh she began to watch the two suns set. They sparkled in the orange sky.

Even back at home, she had never watched the suns set. It had never interested her. She had always preferred the mornings, when the second sun would set the forests and her hair on fire. Her mother told her about the evening sky but she had never truly seen it herself.

Blues, deep reds and greens began to blend across the sky. They swarmed and danced, letting the two suns spin across them. It took a long time for the colors to finally fade to dark, but even then the large moon dominated most of her vision from the ground. Nella and Tirin stopped their running to stare as the moon rose higher in the sky. Small stars began to appear amidst the darkness.

"I'm going to have to be forced to not come here every evening if only to watch the moon rise." Tirin mumbled, making Nella and Iota burst out laughing.

It made Iota feel filled with warmth to know she had succeeded in making the first birthday she had to organize something the person would remember. It made her feel like she could do anything; stand up and shout in the middle of a class, wear her nightgown instead of her uniform or run through the halls screaming. She didn't want the feeling to go away, even though she knew it would. Every bit of warmth she felt in her chest would fade eventually, she knew. It was inevitable.

-I-

When Iota awoke the morning days later, she gasped. Her hearts began to pound as she turned to look at Nella.

"Nella. Wake up." She threw her hairbrush at the girl's revealed back.

Nella rolled over, blinking and rubbing her head. "What is it?"

"Well, one, it's time to wake up." Iota turned so that she was sitting facing Nella. "And two, it's my birthday today."

Nella immediately woke up completely, squealing. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Iota felt her blush beginning to form. "Honestly, I had forgotten until just now."

The thought that Iota had forgotten her birthday seemed as strange to Nella as Tirin not liking the work assigned by professors. "How can you forget your birthday?"

"I got caught up in the work and it kind of drifted away from me that my birthday was coming up." Iota began to swing her legs off the edge of her bed. "I can't believe it either." Even as she said it, Iota could remember waking up on birthday mornings in the past, completely forgetting what the day was. It was only when her mother would give her a hug and whisper "happy birthday" that she would remember.

Nella sighed. "Well, now we're going to have to pull a Tirin and come up with something quick."

Iota's face immediately turned a deep red. She looked down to her hands only to find them splotched red as well. "You don't have to do anything. I'm not used to big celebrations for my birthday."

"Well, we're going to do something." Iota glanced up to see Nella already beginning to get dressed. "Don't worry."

-I-

Iota stayed quiet for the rest of the time spent getting ready and going to the dining hall, something Nella was perfectly happy with. Nella seemed deep in thought about what they were going to do.

It had only struck Iota then how long it had been since she had seen her mother. She had felt herself looking around the hall for her mother's smiling face, only to remember that there was no way her mother would be there. Though she knew seeing her mother wouldn't be enough. In the days leading up to the Academy, Iota had discovered that her mother smelled like the flowers that grew in the small garden in the courtyard of the house and gave hugs that felt like they could save you from anything. Iota hadn't realized how much she missed those hugs until then.

Nella shot out a hand to stop Iota as they entered the dining hall, shaking her from her thoughts. Nella's eyes were locked on Tirin. "Oh no. I think he's sick."

Iota looked up as well. Tirin looked much paler then he normally did and he seemed to be clutching his stomach. His face looked crunched and his eyes pressed closed.

"He did mention the first day I met him that he got sick the same day every year." All the excitement that Iota had been feeling fled from her, leaving her empty. How could she enjoy her birthday when one of her friends was being sick constantly and looked like he was in excruciating pain.

Without another word Nella and Iota rushed to Tirin. They pulled their chairs so that they were sitting closer to him. "Are you alright?" Nella asked carefully. She cringed at the question, knowing the answer the moment the words left her lips.

"I'm sick." Tirin squeezed out, barely moving his lips.

"Do you want us to bring you to the healers?" Iota whispered. She knew that neither her nor Nella knew the way, so she could only hope Qurine Lecmic would.

Tirin shook his head the smallest amount. "I already went. He said I had to go to as many classes as I could. If I feel like I'm going to be sick I have permission to leave the class and go back to the healers. If I don't make it in time," he shrugged, "then I just have to be sick in the hall and go back to class."

"They can't do that! You're sick! You should rest."

Tirin laughed as much as he could, which wasn't much. "These are Time Lords at the Academy we're talking about. I would have to be dying and unable to regenerate for them to consider letting me miss even one class, let alone an entire day."

The smallest amount of hope that had returned when she asked about the healers left immediately. There was no chance she would have any sort of enjoyable birthday if they were forced to look after Tirin all day to make sure he wasn't sick everywhere.

"Don't worry; we'll help you." Iota reached out a hand to rub his back. He tensed at the touch, but she felt his body begin to relax as she rubbed her hand in a circle.

"You don't have to do that." He mumbled.

Nella joined Iota with her own hand. "We're your friends. We're going to help you just like we helped you on your birthday."

At the word birthday Iota cringed. Without looking she knew neither Nella nor Tirin noticed. She continued to rub his back, closing her eyes and breathing deeply.

It took both Nella and Iota to help Tirin stand without his face collapsing completely. They moved slowly to the first class, walking near the back. Everyone else continued to look back at them in confusion. Only Remon and Prexitel came back to ask what was wrong. Nella was the one who explained.

After that, Remon and Prexitel took care of helping Tirin for part of the day. However, Nella didn't leave Tirin's side for a moment. Though Iota wanted to in order to get a break from being around those who walked in silence, the moment she stepped away more than a foot everyone gave her a strange look. She blushed and moved back quickly.

Tirin spent every moment of the classes clutching his stomach and moaning slightly, his eyes closed. It became nearly impossible during the last class for Iota to write anything. She closed her notebook and began rubbing Tirin's back again, closing her eyes. All she could do was hope the professor wouldn't look up.

**A/N: Poor Iota, her birthday isn't turning out as well as the others. Though she's not used to much normally.**

**I know it seems a bit harsh for the Time Lords to make students still take classes even though they're sick, but as long as you can function they want you in class. Education means too much to them.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: Hm...I would have to say Sherlock. I love that show._

_Ithyl: Thank you! I'm not going to say anything to assure or deny it; you have to wait and see what happens. So far, When We Were Young is amazing. I am more certainly going to read more of it. If I find any good ones I'll mention it to you as well, but I'm honestly terrible at finding any type of fanfic._

_DW (guest): Thank you! I hate when I find stories that haven't been updated in a long time, even though I understand the trouble some authors have with writing, so I attempt to avoid doing that as much as I can. It helps that I have a lot (and I mean a LOT) of chapters written ahead of time. And thank you for that!_

_Henny 14: That is such an amazing compliment that I don't know what to say in response! I'm just going to give you a huge hug and attempt to channel all my thanks into it. Thank you so much! :D_

_I'msorrymylove: (You sent in a lot of reviews, but I'm just going to answer the one for the previous chapter) Koschei would also worry about it, but I think in that situation he would attempt to help Iota more then worry. Theta would just worry and flail about._


	17. Part 1: Chapter Seventeen

The only light that arrived that day was at dinner, when both of Iota's brothers walked over to the table. Theta came first. He leaned on her shoulders. "How has the day been treating you?"

Iota turned around with a grimace. "Tirin is sick." She gestured to where he sat across the table. Remon had taken control of caring for him during the meal. "We've been spending the day taking care of him and stopping him from being sick everywhere."

Theta frowned. "I'm sorry about that. Next year, come stay with me the day."

She laughed sadly. "As if I would be able to abandon my friend like that."

"I'm sorry. Happy birthday. Even if you spent the day as you did." He gave her an awkward hug before stepping aside. "And now it is Koschei's turn."

Iota blinked in surprise before turning as well to see Koschei standing to the side, his arms crossed across his chest. She jumped up to give him a hug, something Theta frowned at. It had become a running joke between Nella, Tirin and Iota that Koschei seemed more like her brother then Theta. She enjoyed upsetting Theta by making it seem even more true. She would get up to hug Koschei and only hug Theta as though he was an awkward new friend.

Koschei laughed. "Happy birthday Iota. I heard how you spent it and I am sorry."

"Don't worry. I'm not used to any better." She smiled up at him before shooing him. "Now go. I have to make sure Tirin doesn't see his dinner again."

"I feel like I'm about to." Tirin mumbled. Koschei nodded eagerly before pulling Theta away with him.

Braxiatel came to the table a few minutes later. He didn't give her a hug, instead choosing to rub her head. "Happy birthday." He looked up to Tirin. "I hope you feel better. It's terrible to be sick at the Academy; I've had it happen multiple times. Just be glad you have someone like my sister to look after you."

With another pat on her head, Braxiatel walked away. Nella watched him leave with sadness. She seemed to have expected him to say something as he always had when he came over to the table. It didn't seem to have occurred to her that he came to see Iota alone.

Though, she had to admit, it seemed like it was the first time that happened.

Even though Remon and Prexitel pretended they didn't mind watching over Tirin, they were as glad as Nella and Iota when Brig was forced to bring him back to their room. As soon as they were out of earshot the four began laughing at the expression on Brig's face. It was one of pure and utter dread, something he hid from Tirin.

Nella and Iota had spent the first study period watching over Tirin, unable to do any work on their own. The most Iota had managed was copying Nella's notes for both her and Tirin. However, the time after dinner both Nella and Iota worked furiously. They spent every moment possible writing, not even speaking a word.

It was like this that they finally made their way back to their room. They continued working as they made their way through the hall. People stared as they walked past, whispering about how they had spent the day caring for a sick friend. As soon as people seemed to learn of the fact they would look at the two girls in pity.

Normally, Nella and Iota would have been finished with their work by that point, even if they hadn't spent the first period of study caring for Tirin. But Nella had managed to convince Iota that they would do Tirin's homework for him. They both knew professors wouldn't accept the excuse of Tirin being sick; they found it silly that a simple infection could best a Time Lord. Even a child.

The moment before both of them fell to their beds asleep they managed to finish the work. It had only been copying what they had written and changing a few words, but it had taken longer than they expected.

As both of them lay in their beds, faces pressed against the pillow, Nella turned her head so that she was looking at Iota. "I'm sorry. We didn't do anything to celebrate your birthday."

Iota sighed, even though she knew Nella couldn't hear it. "It's all right. I said this morning that I didn't need anything special."

"I know, but I feel bad. Can we make it up to you tomorrow?"

"You can make it up to me by not doing anything, like I asked." Even as she said that she cringed. She had hoped for the first time in her life she would have a birthday celebration. But even that wish hadn't come to pass. "Just get some sleep."

Nella giggled. "You as well. At least we know Tirin is going to be better tomorrow."

"We can hope."

Nella began to laugh, but it quickly faded into slight snores. Iota took longer to sleep. She rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. She sighed. At least she knew they had a year until they had to care for a sick Tirin again. But another year as well for her birthday to come. The only good thing from that was she had a year free of a day she knew for certain would be disappointing.

-I-

"Iota, you had better wake up right now." Iota woke to someone shaking her side.

She swatted at the figure. "Leave me alone."

Nella sighed. "Don't you dare sleep anymore. One, we have to check on Tirin. And two, do you realize how short of time there is until the exams?"

Iota sat up, shoving Nella away as she did so. "Don't worry. I'm getting up now." She frowned. "Did it only just occur to you what day it was?" She turned her head to see Nella already dressed in her robe and holding Iota's out to her. "And what are you doing?"

"Well, I may have forgotten to mention that it was late and we're running out of time to get breakfast." Nella blushed. "Prexitel stopped by to tell us to hurry."

Those words made Iota work quickly, rushing to get dressed. "Why did you wake up so late?"

"Did you realize how late we were working?" Nella crossed her arms. She already had both of their bags in her lap. "It was late. Really late. I think it was technically today that we finally fell asleep."

It took a few seconds more for Iota to be ready. Nella pulled her out of the room as Iota was doing her hair to an empty hall. That only enhanced their worry.

When they entered the dining hall they rushed to Tirin, who looked much better than he had the morning before. He had always been pale but he had the smallest amount of color back. His eyes were no longer slightly bloodshot and he wasn't clutching his stomach.

"How are you?" Nella asked, handing him the papers they had written the night before. "We did your work for you so that you wouldn't fall that behind."

Tirin gasped as he flipped through the papers. "Thank you so much. You didn't have to do this."

"Yes we did. If you didn't have the work due done on time, who knows what would happen. You would get in so much trouble." Iota smiled at him, resting one hand on his shoulder. "But how do you feel?"

Tirin glanced at her, smiling. "I feel much better. It's like it always is; I'm sick for the one day of the year, without fail, and the next day I'm perfectly fine."

Nella sighed. "Well, since we've got that taken care of I have to remind you how little time we have until the exams."

"She just remembered this morning." Iota informed Tirin, earning a quick glare from Nella. "It was rather terrifying. I woke up to her shaking me and screaming about how the exams were only a few months away!"

"That was not why I was shaking you! We were late."

Iota lifted her hands in defense and leaned back in her chair. She knew it was a terrible idea to get in an argument with Nella. A slight smile on her face, she began to eat the food on the plate in front of her.

"Anyways." Nella took a bite of her own food. "Even if there are a few months away, we still have to get ready."

"How are we going to get ready?" Tirin asked. He sounded a bit irritated already at the thought of studying as much as required when preparing for an exam.

"Well, in the after dinner studying time we will study using the study guide I will be preparing over the coming days." Nella took another bite of her food. Tirin and Iota exchanged a glance.

Iota was extremely glad to have Tirin back normal. She hadn't thought she would miss him as much as she did. It wasn't just because he was her friend. It felt more like it was because when he was there, she had someone with whom she had, it seemed, a natural connection. When they met the first day as her father brought her for Initiation, she had felt like they would become friends. Something had clicked in her head.

When he wasn't there, she felt as though whatever had clicked left as well. It wasn't just that she felt like she had before the Academy, before she had known Tirin. It felt like a part of her had left.

And it felt terrible.

She only realized it just then. Throughout the day before she had focused her attention on either complaining in her mind about how her birthday was terrible or caring for Tirin. She hadn't had enough time to actually miss Tirin's comments or company.

She felt the urge to give him a hug, but she knew he wouldn't accept it. Most likely he would shove her away in surprise. He was a nine year old boy, after all.

"Well, I'm sure we're going to have an amazing time studying." Tirin's comment brought Iota out of her trance. She frowned and shook her head slightly, but neither Tirin nor Nella seemed to notice.

Nella swatted Tirin in the arm before looking around them. "I think we might want to head to class. Everyone appears to be leaving."

Tirin and Iota looked around as well. The other students seemed to be leaving the hall in groups. With sighs, they stood and Nella followed. She had already pulled a notebook from her bag and appeared to be writing a schedule.

The day passed differently than the one before. As Nella spent the day occasionally making comments about the schedule as if Iota and Tirin would understand, Iota explained to Tirin what they had learned the day before. Apparently he hadn't been able to pay attention at all to the lessons, though Iota wasn't surprised. He didn't look like he had had the ability to do so.

Though the professors all eyed Tirin's work skeptically since they knew how he had been the day before, they accepted it. One commented on the fact his hand writing had changed and become much neater. Iota, who was standing behind him, blushed. When she walked to the desk to turn in her own paper, the professor smiled at her.

"Tirin is lucky to have friends like you and Nella." He whispered, nodding her away. Iota wasn't able to make a comment since the professor had clearly sent her away.

For the first time, Tirin seemed truly interested in his work during the two study periods. He furiously worked the entire time. Nella and Iota kept looking at each other warily. They didn't know if his sickness had done something to him or if he had just suddenly decided to focus more on work. Neither of them wanted to ask him.

Nella and Iota managed to get to sleep at a much earlier time that night, though they fell asleep discussing Tirin's sudden interest in work. However, both of them knew he would be back to his normal self the next day. There was no way the change was permanent.

**A/N: Yey, Tirin's better! But Iota missed him when he was sick, as everyone does with a friend. She's ****insanely (Have to be careful using that term! Wouldn't want to be taken away for being mad) happy he's back.**

**I hope Theta, Koschei and Braxiatel's reaction to her birthday was suitable. Iota does love teasing Theta by pretending Koschei's her brother; it does annoy him a lot.**

**One of my frie****nds, Lil Angel 927, is currently writing a story called _25th Hunger Games_. Please go read that if you like the Hunger Games! She's an amazing writer who deserves to be read but not many people are reading her story.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Alex (Guest): You could say her birthday gets better in the sense her brothers and friend come to comfort her, but other then that it's not that good. But she's not overly upset; she cares more about Tirin._

_I'msorrymylove: He hasn't said it yet, but your review has left me with the wish to have him say it! I'm going to have to find some way to work it in and then have Iota just tease him about it :). Koschei/Iota (Koschiota as one of my friends have has it) fluff will be coming far in the future, though there will be hugs and sweet moments in the future._

_Teddy bear 007: It is one of the best shows on the planet!_

_DW (Guest): Thank you! Tirin's just sick; he gets sick the same time each year. School can be annoying when it comes to reading any type of thing. I hope the school year goes well for you!_


	18. Part 1: Chapter Eighteen

Both Nella and Iota were correct. The next day, as they sat down to begin the first study period, Tirin was as unwilling to work as normal. Neither of them wanted to bring up how he had acted the day before. It would only end in embarrassment and unhappiness. So they only exchanged a look before continuing how they normally spent the study periods.

Occasionally, on days when none of them felt like studying, they would use Qurine Lecmic's map to go to the field behind the Academy. It was difficult to convince Nella to come, but they knew two of them couldn't leave the other. Too much suspicion, since people already expected to see the three of them together.

Most of the time in the fields they didn't bother running. They only lay on the ground and talked.

"Juno always told me about the amazing trips we go on at the Academy," Nella commented. "But we haven't gone on one yet."

Tirin rolled so that he was supporting himself on one arm. "We are only First Year Novices. I heard people saying we wouldn't go on trips until Tenth Year Novices or later. I've heard it said that our first trip is on a TARDIS to the birth of a star."

Iota moved to mimic his position. Tirin and she were on either side of Nella. "That sounds beautiful."

"I've heard it is." Nella sighed. Her eyes seemed to have focused on the different stars above them. "I can't wait for when we can go."

"Well, we have nine years to wait," Tirin laughed, rolling back onto his back.

Iota sat up fully, fingering the grass around her. "Do we ever get to go to another planet?"

Nella nodded. "Sadly, it's rare. Most planets don't take kindly to Time Lord students roaming about."

"And why's that?"

Nella sighed. "I think it's because we've been known to start a few wars in the past. The students, I mean. Not the Time Lords."

"How have the students started wars?" Tirin asked. He turned his head so that he was looking at Nella.

"We make the odd comment about defenses or army strategies and how another planet's is better, and the planet we're on will attempt to prove us wrong by attacking the other planet. Alliances will lead to multiple species going to war." Nella wrinkled her brow. "I think an Academy student started the war between the Sontarans and the Rutans by doing something similar."

Tirin and Iota glanced at each other before bursting out laughing. Nella sat up and stared angrily at Tirin. "I know for a fact that when we finally get to go to another planet you're going to make a comment and spark a debate with Iota, leading to a war that stretches across the stars."

Tirin held his hands in the air in defense, though he was still lying on the ground. His laughter slowed to a giggle. "I won't do that! Promise me."

"I don't believe you." Nella turned to look at Iota. "Do you believe him?"

"Nope." Iota managed to squeeze it out as she tried to slow her laughter.

In response to her statement, Tirin turned to glare at her. His reaction only caused Nella to join Iota in her laughter. It only took another moment for Tirin begin to laugh as well.

Another time Tirin asked Nella why they hadn't met Juno yet, though they had meet both Theta and Braxiatel. Nella's response was simply "Juno asked me not to bother her when I was here". Tirin blushed and retracted his question.

When Tirin and Iota were unable to convince Nella to come to the field, they resigned themselves to studying using the plan she had devised. They didn't bother attempting to use their own notes; both of them knew it would be nothing compared to Nella's. They quizzed each other on the questions Nella had devised and hit each other on their arms when they got a question wrong. Tirin gained quite a few more slaps then both Nella and Iota combined.

While Theta teased Nella on how soon they began to study, Braxiatel praised her. He came to their table almost every day to ask how it was going. The Found arrived a few times after Braxiatel came. He congratulated Nella on her strong focus on school work.

Of the three of those who came, Theta was the only one who paid any sort of attention to Tirin and Iota.

-I-

One day at dinner the Finder and the Hunter arrived to their Year table. All the students immediately stopped talking, turning around to face the two older Time Lords.

"Tomorrow is the first day of the exams." The Finder began. Immediately, Nella clutched Iota's hand. They had known it was coming, but hearing it said by the Finder made it clear it was actually happening. "You will have no normal classes for the remainder of the year, instead spending most of each day either taking an exam or studying."

The Hunter focused his attention on Iota. Since their conversation at breakfast the one time, they had not spoken since. As before, she noticed him watching her in the halls whenever they passed. Now, Percy joined him.

"We will be accompanying you for all the days you take your exams, minus the days when we must monitor our own." The Hunter explained. "Instead of eating separately as you currently do, we will eat silently as a group. This is to prevent discussions of the exams among yourselves. Since you are not old enough to have formed any type of mental bond yet, we do not have that to worry about."

Iota could feel Nella itching to begin a conversation about the mental bonds. But the entire table remained silent. Iota knew that as soon as they left the room Nella would either launch into a discussion of mental bonds or of worry for the exams. Knowing her, it would more likely be worry for the exams.

"Please come here tomorrow morning for breakfast and then you will begin your testing." The Finder began to walk away.

The Hunter nodded first. "You have the final studying period of the day to prepare. You have the Basic Cultures exam tomorrow."

The moment they were alone again the table burst into whispered conversation. Nella pulled her notebook of Basic Cultures and began to furiously study. Even Tirin put down his fork and pushed away his food, suddenly unable to eat. Iota began to pull on her fingers, her eyes glazed over as she thought about what could be on the exams.

The Year walked back to their dormitories in silence. None of them seemed to want to return to the library, though they knew it would have been a good idea. Iota, at least, was returning to the dormitory because she didn't know if her stomach could handle it. She wanted to simply fall asleep and never wake up, skipping the exams entirely.

-I-

For the entirety of the morning, as they made their way to the dining hall, Nella was shaking. She clutched Iota's arm and whispered facts over and over again. When they met up with other students from their Year most of them mimicked Nella. A few were like Iota, walking in silence and eyes ahead.

The Hunter and the Finder were already waiting at the large table in the dining hall. They stood before the table, eyeing every student as they approached.

Breakfast was eaten in silence, with a few students frantically attempting to study in the last few minutes that they had. The few who weren't studying and who seemed partially able to focus spent the time they weren't eating force-feeding the ones who couldn't manage on their own.

Everyone in the room stood at once. The Hunter and the Finder walked among Iota's Year. They collected any notebooks or bags people had brought to study. "You will be getting these back after your first exam. You will have a thirty minute study period in order to prepare for your second exam."

Nella began to clutch both Tirin and Iota's arms, needing them to support her. She still mumbled random facts about the culture of the Judoon. Iota spotted Theta in the crowd. Koschei was walking beside him. Theta seemed to be stricken in fear, while Koschei looked like normal. He even seemed to have an amused smirk on his face. It was Koschei who caught her eye and waved, though Iota was unable to wave in return.

The room that they would take the exam in seemed to be a larger version of the class rooms. There were no longer two people per table. Instead each person had their own seat spread a foot or two away. There was already a pile of pens at the top of each paper and a professor stood at the front of the room.

"Please take a seat." The professor announced, gesturing to the tables. Tirin had to shove Nella from them in order for her to realize they were in the exam room. Her face seemed to lose all emotion and she went to a table in silence. Tirin squeeze Iota's hand one final time before they separated.

Once everyone was seated the professor walked around and placed a pile of papers on each table. "Please leave it turned as such until I give the signal. Once you have finished this section of the exam, please raise your hand. I will come to collect it and give you the paper with the information for the essay section of the exam." The professor returned to the front of the room. He leaned on his own table, letting his gaze move over all of them. "You may begin."

Everyone turned the papers at once. There were a few moments of silence as everyone stared at the first question.

_What is the socially accepted manner to greet an adult of the human species from the Earth country Japan for the first time? The human species in question currently resides on the planet Earth in the time period of the early twenty first century. If something differs between the male and female of the species, please specify._

The sound of one pen scratched launched the rest of the room to follow.

Iota stared at the paper, the answer empty from her mind. The hand that held the pen shook and hovered over the page. She searched her mind desperately. Almost as though in response, her chest burst with warmth and the answer appeared before her eyes. Beginning to smile, Iota bent over the page and began to write.

Even with the promise of the first question, Iota found herself without an answer on half of the questions. She was forced to guess on all of them, for no answer arrived in the form of a burst of warmth.

When she finally finished, she noticed that more than half of the room had finished before her.

The essay forced her to compare the different examples of art from multiple civilizations. She was given a selection of art and allowed to choose three that she would discuss. As she began to plan the essay in her head, a section of her mind turned as cold as ice. It became the only thing she could focus on for a few minutes. But when the coldness vanished the exact layout of the essay replaced it.

Iota knew she would have to find something to read on exactly what was happening with her mind, but she was unable to focus on it then. The most important thing became, since she knew exactly what she wanted to say, that her handwriting remained readable throughout the entirety of the essay.

She took a second after reading through her finished essay for the third time before raising her hand. As the professor picked the pile of papers from her table, he leaned down to whisper to her.

"You are now permitted to leave the room. The Hunter and the Finder are waiting in the hall to watch you while you wait for the other members of your room to finish."

Iota had seen the other students leaving as she wrote and she rushed to do the same. Neither Tirin nor Nella already waited there, but Qurine Lecmic was there. He had been one of the first.

"How did Tirin enjoy his birthday present?" Qurine Lecmic asked casually. He hadn't bothered to ask anytime before.

Iota glanced at the two Time Lords before answering. "He loved it. Thank you."

"No problem."

She didn't speak for the rest of the time she waited for her friends.

**A/N: There was a nod towards the Academic Series by LizzeXX at the beginning here. Her OC, the Professor, and the Doctor unintentionally start the Sontaran and Rutan war. Her stories gave me the want to write a Doctor Who story, so I felt I needed to acknowledge her intentionally (instead of accidentally using the name Nella).  
**

**The exams have started! Never fun here on Earth, but even worse on Gallifrey. If you fail these, goodbye!**

**I hope you like the question they had to answer; I kept rewriting it to attempt and make it sound like a question Time Lords would ask.**

_DW (Guest): He was just feeling a bit guilty about being sick; but it was a humongous shock to the two girls. Thank you! I would have to agree with you that summer's much better, but I'm glad school wasn't so bad :)._

_I'msorrymylove: I have to agree; I'm definitely going to start using it. I don't want to give away too much, but Theta's initial reaction will be shock for like ten days when he'll just blubber and gesture madly. His brain won't know how to comprehend that his little sister is going out with his best friend._

_Guest: I know, but it'll happen again next year, so that's not so good._

_Teddy bear 007: I know! It's what comes from posting every weekday. I'm worried I might run out in a few weeks because of school lessening my time for writing._


	19. Part 1: Chapter Nineteen

Nella walked out of the room a few minutes later. She was trembling and clutching the end of the sleeves of her robe. Iota rushed to her.

"How are you?" Iota looked her over. Nella had reacted as such on the tests they had had during the year, but this was on a larger scale. Qurine Lecmic was eyeing both of them critically.

"I think I'm fine," Nella whispered, leaning against the wall. "Now that that is over."

Qurine Lecmic walked over. "Don't forget, we have more exams later," He pointed out, smirking. Just as before, it looked strange on him. Both Nella and Iota glared at him for his comment. His face fell and he walked away.

The Hunter, who had been watching the three of them talk, replaced Qurine Lecmic in where he stood. The Time Lord crossed his arms behind his back. "How did the first exam treat you?" Iota felt a surge in her chest as she realized that the Hunter was speaking namely to her. He was even looking at her, not even giving a glance to Nella.

"Well, I believe. I know I did not completely fail." She smiled up at him. Even though she wasn't touching Nella and had formed no mental bond to her, she could feel the girl's annoyance at being ignored by a professor. "But I am sad to say I did not do as well as I hoped."

The Hunter smiled quickly before folding his face into the normal stern expression. "First exams are always the most difficult; at least now you know more what to look for." He smiled again. "I've heard this is why they start with cultures. Most people believe it is the easiest. But, trust me, it is not."

Nella nodded furiously, bringing both the Hunter's and Iota's attention back to her. "My sister has told me we'll discover the subject we find easiest later in our educational career."

The Hunter smiled at her. Iota couldn't help but notice it wasn't the same as the one he gave her. Well that should have brightened her, it only made her worried. How could she be more special than Nella? She had only known the girl for a year and already knew how intelligent she was.

"Correct. When you reach the rank of First Year Learner then you have the ability to pick the class you wish to expand upon. You will still take all of the normal classes with the fellow members of your Year, but that one class is combined with students of all levels of Learner and Master." The Hunter looked between both of them. "In your last year as an Apprentice I shall be one of your professors. I will be assisting you in deciding what class you wish to expand upon."

Nella tilted her head. "In what way?"

"You will discover when you attend the class." The Hunter smiled, before nodding to both of them and leaving.

Almost immediately after he was out of earshot Nella turned to face Iota. "Why did he come to talk to you? No offense, but you're not one to attract the attention of professors."

Iota cringed as Nella reminded her. "I don't know. The Hunter has taken interest in me since the TARDIS cradle."

"Of course. Where you noticed the Huon particles leaking." Nella nodded as though she understood.

There was a shuffling sound behind them and they both turned around to look at the door to the exam room. In the time they had been talking to the Hunter, most of the other students had left the room. At a quick count they saw there were twenty-one students milling about. They were missing one.

It was Tirin, who was then shuffling out of the exam room looking sickly pale and as though he was about to cry. They ran to him, moving to stand on either side of him and support him.

"Are you alright?" Nella asked quickly. Tirin closed his eyes and breathed deeply before answering.

"Terrible. I have decided I hate exams with all my hearts," he managed, sighing.

Iota giggled slightly. "Don't worry, I understand you."

The Hunter and the Finder were eyeing them critically. Nella shouldered Tirin. "Are you able to stand on your own?"

"Yeah." With another breath Tirin pushed himself standing. The three of them watched as the two Time Lords turned their attention away from the friends.

The Finder began walking around the group again, bags and notebooks in her hand. She distributed them to their owners. Somehow, though none of the bags and papers were labeled as far as Iota could see, all of them were returned to the correct owners.

"Now it is time to return to the library for the study period between exams." The Hunter and the Finder began to usher them through the halls. Groups of students from other Years walked in their own sections, though none of them mingled. "Your next exam is one on your class of Basic Mathematics."

As soon as the Finder announced it, Nella began searching her bag for the proper notebook. Tirin turned pale again at the thought of studying more, while Iota just groaned. She knew it was a good idea to review, since she barely understood any bit of what they had learned that year. But she hated the thought of doing it.

Studying for the next exam mainly was filled with Nella giving Tirin a crash course and Iota attempting to listen in while reading through the notes on her own.

All the students from their Year sat around a large table in the library. The Hunter and the Finder walked around them, keeping close watch on every student. When the time came to go to the next exam, they collected all the bags and papers once again.

Tirin began to clutch Iota's arm, cutting off what felt like all the blood flow. Instead of the nervousness she had felt earlier the morning Nella appeared to be perfectly fine. She spent the time walking to the room where they were to take the exam attempting to calm Tirin.

It didn't work.

The professor monitoring the exam explained that there was no essay section to the exam they were about to take. Instead, there was a section of word problems and a section of equations. The equations would come first and the word problems would come after they rose their hand.

There was no warmth or coldness to help Iota. The problems at the start proved easy, but the ones that followed seemed impossible. Iota felt guilty doing so, but she guessed at them all. Occasionally there was a question she could remember Nella scolding Tirin about only minutes before. But the only problem was she couldn't remember the specifics. She would know one fact to use when answering the question, but no idea on what to do to follow it or get to it.

By the time Iota exited the room, after finishing both sections of the exam, she found most students had already finished. Nella already stood talking to Giro and Viru. She turned and rushed to Iota as soon as she walked into the hall.

"How was it for you?" Nella asked quickly. "Did you remember everything?"

Iota sighed as she shook her head. "I know I failed that one."

"Just failing one isn't that bad. The average of all of them just has to be over fifty percent to pass. One won't change the average too much." Nella squeezed Iota's hand.

"But what if I fail more of them?"

Nella smiled at her, shaking the hand she held and clutching it tighter. "You won't. I believe in you."

"And Tirin?"

Nella looked away from her for a second, thinking, before looking back. "I believe in him too. You're my friends and you're both smart. You'll both get through."

As if saying his name had summoned him, Tirin walked out of the room. Both Nella and Iota were glad to see he looked much better than he had after the first exam. "I feel amazing." He smiled widely. "Either I've magically discovered a sudden ability to do math or I do better after I cram."

They exchanged a look before beginning to laugh together, earning a glare from the Finder and a smile from the Hunter. Tirin wasn't the last student out of the room, a fact he announced eagerly. Nella and Iota congratulated him as they waited.

Lunch was next, where all of their Year sat together at one large table. The Hunter and the Finder sat at either end. If any of them talked below a whisper they were scolded and forced to sit in silence for the rest of the meal. Any time they discussed the exam they were forced to do the same. Even though most of their conversations could have been allowed, most students choose to stay silent and think of what could come next. None of them were looking forward to it.

-I-

"Basic Literature of Gallifrey." The Finder announced as they made their way to the library for the next study period. "Afterwards, you have a major study period in order to review for tomorrow's exams."

"If I were you, I would study everything you haven't had an exam on, but also do a basic overview of the culture, maths and literature. Aspects of each will be included in the coming exams." The Hunter smiled at them. Instead of commenting, the Finder only hit his arm gently.

Instead of one helping another, Tirin, Iota and Nella studied separately. They walked to the exam in silence.

The literature exam involved an essay again, as well as reading multiple selections of writing and answering questions on them. No warmth or coldness came to Iota's chest but halfway through she began to guess she didn't need it on this one. Even though she had barely understood anything in the class it felt different writing an essay on it.

Iota was sad to say, however, she missed the warmth and coldness. She couldn't help but wonder why she only felt them in the first and nothing came in the other two. It angered her that whatever gave her the warmth and coldness didn't find maths and literature worthy of help, while it found culture worthy.

As she wrote the final words of the essay, she briefly considered asking Nella what she considered the warmth and coldness was. But something inside her burned and made her stop. The burning was nothing like the warmth; it hurt. It felt like it clutched her hearts tightly in two fists and it was squeezing. And fire seemed to surge inside her. All at the thought of telling someone about the warmth and the cold.

It was then that the things and feelings that had given her help began to scare her.

-I-

Both Nella and Iota desperately wanted to fall asleep the moment they entered their dormitory that evening, forced to return right after diner. They wanted the next day to come so that the time would pass faster and they would finish quicker. Even Nella wished it. Though she loved schooling and loved to learn, she hated the exams.

With the time and the amount of energy stored up, they found it impossible to fall asleep. Instead, they sat with their legs crossed on their beds, facing each other. They had nothing to discuss besides the exams and neither wanted to, so they sat in silence.

"Do you find it strange we barely get to return home while we're at the Academy?" Nella commented, staring at the space above Iota's head. "Even on the holidays. And we don't even celebrate them here."

Iota shrugged. "I guess they just value education more than family or Gallifreyan holidays."

"But wouldn't it be better to found a society that values all three equally? Like there are a few days a year when we're given the choice to go home and you're allowed to return home on the holidays if you wish? That would also give us a sense of independence that would help us later in life."

"This is why I tend to just let you talk and listen. You should consider going into politics."

Nella sighed before beginning to tap the bed. "I've also noticed that we get no knowledge of what happens on Gallifrey when we're here. I know for a fact that a new Lord President was chosen this year but we got no news of who it is."

"I guess they want to keep us separate from all that." Iota shrugged.

"But why would they do that?"

There was a slight surge of warmth in Iota's chest. "Maybe to keep us from continuing family loyalties and having opinions of other students because of their families' social positions or political opinions. If we're kept separate from all that then we are able to make decisions without any of the stigma attached otherwise. The choices we make would be ours and ours alone, and the seclusion would allow us to return to Time Lord Society with different ideas then we would have had if influenced by families and politics. Ways to improve the universe."

Nella pointed to her. "See, this is one of the ways you're smarter than me." she smiled. "But don't forget, we're talking about Time Lords; a collection of stuffy senators who hate change."

"I'm trying to think of it as what the society could be based on. It may have changed as time passed." Iota shrugged.

**A/N: First day of exams completed! Something strange is happening with Iota; what's with the warmth, cold and burning? And why does she feel like she can't tell anyone about either?**

**I feel I should specify the different levels at the Academy. There are first Novices, which are what all of the main characters currently are, who wear white details to their clothing. Next comes Apprentice, with blue. Then comes Learner, with gold. And finally Master, with red. Students are in each for one hundred years.**

**The end bit is just speculation by Iota as to why they don't get to go home. I won't ever go into the deep detail, but I felt it important to give some information about it, even if it is just speculation by a nine year old.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_I'msorrymylove: Basically, that's what it's like :). Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked that nod, I felt it was a good thing to include. And thank you again! That's an amazing compliment!_

_Lil Angel 927: Thank you! And I'm glad you liked it :)._

_Teddy bear 007: Don't worry, I will! Thank you so much! That's amazing to hear from a reader :)._

_DW (Guest): They are the most dreaded! Very stressful on Gallifrey; especially with the added fear of if you fail, you're gone. Thank you! I mentioned in a previous review answer how long this story is going to be, but I'll say it again here. The story will continue throughout the Academy years and beyond, touching into the war and then afterwards. In actual episodes, it will include a two-part from season 3, a Christmas special, two of DT's specials and then season 5 and part of season 6. Currently, I have close to fifty chapters up and they're only 208, so this story is going to be long :)._


	20. Part 1: Chapter Twenty

The remaining days of the exams passed in a similar way as the first day. As much as Iota tried to keep the warmth and coldness away, it began to come during every exam. She tried to force it away but it continued to come back.

Iota began to shake with worry after each exams. Every time she considered telling someone about the feelings all of her body burned and she had to clench her hands to force herself from crying out. The other students from her Year, as well as the Hunter and the Finder, looked at her strangely. Once, the Hunter came over to ask if she was alright. It took all her concentration not to snap at him.

Though Tirin felt confident after one or two of the exams, for the majority Nella and Iota had to convince him he hadn't failed and that he wasn't an idiot. Nella was fine after all of them, though at night she was as willing for the exams to be over as Iota. Iota only wanted them to end so that she didn't have to worry about the warmth and coldness anymore. She had vaguely stopped caring about how well she did on the exams.

As she walked out of the last exam, she found the Hunter waiting for her. The warmth had just come for the entirety of the exam. "How was your final exam as a First Year Novice?"

Iota started as she remembered. "I'm just glad it's over." She spoke quickly, not even letting the burning come at all.

"Well, you now have a year to wait until you have to do it again." He smiled at her.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happens now? Do we have any break between the exams and classes?" She glanced behind him for Nella and Tirin, but saw neither. Qurine Lecmic was there, however. He always seemed to be one of the first finished.

"Well, you have one day of break, which has the same fires from the Visiting Days. There's one more day after that, but that's the day for the ceremony for switching Years and Initiation. You and your fellow Year members get to go to a ceremony with the other students moving up in Novice. It tends to last the entire day because of the sheer amount of you."

Iota nodded. "And the next day, we have classes again, correct? Because I remember the day we toured the Academy we sat in on a class for a bit."

"Correct." The Hunter looked over her shoulder. "And I believe that is your friend Nella leaving the exam room currently. Goodbye, Iota." They nodded goodbye to each other before the Hunter walked away and Iota turned to look at Nella.

Nella looked slightly saddened, her arms wrapped around her. "Are you alright?"

Nella sighed. "I'm fine. I'm just a bit upset that the exams are over."

Iota began to giggle. "Only you, Nella. Only you."

That caused Nella to smile. She let her arms drop from around her and they both leaned against the wall. "How do you think you did?"

"No idea. I hope I did well." Iota didn't want to give the answer she truly felt was right. Something inside her told her that the warmth would have made sure she got the answers right. But she couldn't remember any of the facts she had answered on the exams. It didn't feel like she had learned anything or truly knew anything she had answered. Without the warmth she knew she would have failed.

"I know you did." Nella looked around quickly before leaning in and whispering. "We both know you did better than Tirin."

Iota blushed and refused to agree out loud, even though she knew Nella was right.

Much like the first exam, Tirin was the last person to leave the exam room. He looked the opposite of Nella; relaxed and completely happy. He had a large smile on his face and seemed to be swaggering. Both Nella and Iota began laughing. Tirin was too tall, too young and too thin to look natural swaggering. If anything, it just looked strange.

"What?" Tirin asked them, smiling widely. "The exams are finished!"

"We both know." Nella managed out between her laughs. "It's just you looked really funny."

Tirin crossed his arms sadly. Iota quickly stopped laughing and squeezed Tirin's arm gently. "Sorry. We're both very glad the exams are over."

"Even Nella?"

"Even me." Nella smiled. "Though I am a bit sad."

Tirin grinned. "I knew it. There was no way you would be happy about the exams over, not unless you lose your memory and get another person's consciousness implanted in you."

Their Year was escorted to one of the large meeting halls, where other Novices stood around in small groups. Their Year remained together in their own group. Remon stepped to the middle of them, with Prexitel and Brig off to the side. It only took another second, however, for Prexitel to join him.

"Now, I know we all have differing opinions on the exams ending." Remon began. Iota watched as his eyes landed on both Nella and Tirin, perhaps the two people with the most varied opinions. She smiled. "So we're not going to discuss them."

"Instead, we would like to begin by wishing every one of you who has had their birthday during the year a very happy birthday. We were unable to have any celebrations throughout the year; something Remon and I have learned will be a regular occurrence." Prexitel nodded to each of them. "Instead, we have decided to celebrate at the end of the year together."

Remon smiled. "All birthdays will be celebrated together. Tomorrow, since that is the day we have off."

Everyone began talking at once, with Tirin turning to look at Iota. "You know, we never did anything to celebrate your birthday. When was it?"

Iota shifted awkwardly. "It was on the day you got sick. But I'm used to not getting much; don't worry."

"I'm sorry." Tirin pulled her into a quick hug, something that caused Nella to giggle once. "You should have told me."

Iota pushed him away with a giggle. "I said I'm fine. I don't need anything." She smiled in her head. It was nice to know both of her friends cared. But she couldn't help but remember that it was only then that Tirin had thought to ask.

-I-

Remon and Prexitel kept true to their promise. The next day they managed to get a collection of sweets from the Servers and brought the collection, along with the rest of their Year with Qurine Lecmic leading the way, to the field behind the Academy. All the students sat in a circle on the grass with the plates in the middle.

Iota took a sweet carefully. She had rarely had them at home and didn't truly know what she enjoyed. Nella told her which one to pick.

It was a small cube that felt like clouds in her hand. It was a pale blue with what looked like a green blob in the center. At Nella's instruction, she popped it in her mouth and sucked on the sweet. She spit it out instantly.

"You don't like it?" Nella asked sadly, eating her own.

Iota rubbed her hand on her tongue. "Sorry, no."

Tirin picked up his own sweet and handed it to her. "I told you. Try this."

The sweet was a squishy sphere of bright yellow. It had a slight fuzzy feeling to it. Iota ate it carefully and smiled instantly. A sweet, fruity juice squirted from the sweet and filled her mouth.

"That is delicious."

Nella pouted as Tirin gathered a small collection of spheres, all in similar bright colors. Iota found she loved all but the blue one, which turned out to be Tirin's favorite of the colors.

-I-

The next day a new selection of robes lay in their trunks. Nella and Iota exchanged a glance as they looked them over, since the robes hadn't been there the day before. The robes were the same black as the normal ones but it included a white covering similar to the one they had during the Initiation ceremony, though opposite.

Nella and Iota took turns doing each other's hair. They knew they had to have a neater and more complicated style for the ceremony the Hunter and the Finder had announced to the Year the night before at dinner. Iota had smiled, for she already knew what the Time Lords were saying. Even Nella didn't know.

Prexitel, Giro and Viru were waiting outside their door when they stepped outside. As they walked to breakfast none of them spoke. No one seemed to know what would happen during the ceremony, even Nella. Iota had asked her if Juno had mentioned anything, but according to Nella she hadn't. Theta and Braxiatel hadn't told her either.

The Hunter and the Finder weren't waiting for them in the dining hall. Instead, all the professors seemed to be standing around the room. Iota spotted Ulysses on the right, but he made no action to show he recognized her. They hadn't spoken since their argument on the Visiting Days.

The Novices, Apprentices, Learners and Masters seemed to be separated into four quadrants around the room. Each group had coverings of their individual colors; white, blue, gold and red.

Each Year sat at their own table in the section and ate in silence. Every time someone spoke a professor walked over and quietly whispered to them. When the professor left and returned to their position on the wall, they left the student stone faced and silent.

As one, all the students stood and combined into the groups of their colors. Someone bumped into Iota's side and she looked there to see that Theta stood next to her, with Koschei next to him. Theta gently took her hand and squeezed it. He didn't risk talking, for a professor walked a few students away.

The students in white entered a large room. Professors walked among them and organized them again into their Years, with the eldest in the front of a small line and the youngest in the back. Iota's Year found themselves in the back far corner of the room, last in the long line of students.

The first girl, whose short blond hair hung limply around her head, stepped up onto the platform at the front of the room. She bowed to the professor who stood there. "Rakina, Ninety-nine Year Novice. You scored an average of seventy two on the exam. Congratulations. You are now a One Hundred Year Novice."

There was no applause. Rakina only nodded and stepped off the platform, disappearing into a door to the side. It was as such that the rest of the line progressed. Each Year had at least twenty students, but the ones near the beginning had less. Theta scored a fifty nine, while Koschei scored an eighty three. Braxiatel scored a ninety nine.

Eventually the First Year Novices were the only ones left in the large room. Iota began to hear her hearts beat in nervousness. Four of the students had gotten something less than fifty and they had been escorted away.

Nella walked up to the platform, clutching her robe. She stumbled slightly as she bowed to the professor. "Nella, First Year Novice. You scored an average of eighty nine on the exam. Congratulations. You are now a Second Year Novice." Nella visibly relaxed as she made her way out of the room.

As Tirin walked up to the platform he looked even more nervous than Nella. There was visible sweat on his head. "Tirin, First Year Novice. You scored an average of fifty three on the exam. Congratulations. You are now a Second Year Novice." Iota released the breath she had been holding for him. It was low, but he had passed none the same.

As she walked up to the platform, she noticed the Hunter, Percy and Ulysses watching her carefully. The three men were spaced widely around the room, but all their eyes were on her.

"Iota Xi, First Year Novice. You scored an average of eighty one on the exam. Congratulations. You are now a Second Year Novice."

All three men nodded in approval. Iota quickly made her way through the door that the rest of the students had walked through. It was a large hall, with food on long tables on the sides. Tirin and Nella rushed to her. "Did you pass?" Nella asked, though the fact she was there should have been answer enough. Iota only nodded and Nella gave her a hug. "I knew it!"

"All three of us passed." Tirin smiled. "Now come on, let's get food. We missed lunch."

Iota's stomach rumbled. She hadn't noticed herself growing hungry during the ceremony, but as she examined the collection of food she could tell she was starving.

Iota knew they had all passed, but she couldn't help but remember that it was only the first year; known to be one of the easiest. It would only get complicated as time went on and Tirin had been close to failing this time. What would happen with all the others?

**A/N: And the first year at the Academy has finished! Everyone has passed so far, though Theta and Tirin are less than the others. Still, an 81 is pretty good for Iota.**

**I felt like Remon and Prexitel would make sure the Year did something to celebrate birthdays, being the leaders they are.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Lil Angel 927: Thank you! I'm glad you get excited when finding out there's a new chapter; that's always amazing to hear :). Nella is a bit jealous. She's used to being the one professors fawn over, not the one ignored._

_I'msorrymylove: Oh my goodness, I'm so glad to hear that! :D The characters were the things I was most worried about because of the sheer amount of OCs currently in the story. I'm so happy that I've succeeded so far :). That was one reason I wanted to include this part of the story; it seems like it's an important part of the Doctor's life that's never touched on. Especially the friendship between the Doctor and the Master._

_Teddy bear 007: You're really going to make me choose between those three? It's an impossible choice. I love all three equally :)_

_DW (Guest): So glad! I forgot to mention that I might continue it into the 12th Doctor, depending on what he and his episodes are like. I know the title and description likely give bits away, but because I'm including the entire story into this one, though separated into different parts for different regenerations, I needed things that would describe the story as a whole. I'm so glad you like the fast updates :D_


	21. Part 1: Chapter Twenty-One

The next day two different Time Lords stood waiting for the Second Year Novices at breakfast. They seemed to be the opposite of the Hunter and the Finder, with the female looking welcoming while the male seemed unapproachable.

"Last year the Hunter and the Finder were the two professors in charge of taking you around the Academy," the man stated. He stared above their heads with empty brown eyes. "This year, we have taken the role so that they may take the job for the First Year Novices. I am the Fallen."

The woman chose to smile at them. She was short and seemed only a few inches above the students' height. "And I am Marian; the word means mother in the language of the Wintergirls, who inhabit the planet Amezon."

Iota could faintly see Heph Tro standing next to her. The girl's eyes seemed to sparkle at Marian's words. She could faintly remember that Heph Tro had been the first one finished with all of the exams involving other planets.

"This year, instead of a Basic Cultures class, you will be taking a class called Basic Languages. The languages you will be learning in the class will be the ones of the planets you learned about last year." The Fallen spoke with a 'no nonsense' aspect about him.

Marian rested her hand on the Fallen's arm, stopping him. "All the other classes will continue the same." She turned and gestured to the dining hall. "Now please, go eat. We will come collect you when the time has come for classes."

Iota couldn't help but notice the Fallen seemed upset about letting them disperse about the room. Tirin, Nella and Iota moved quickly to their table. As they sat down, Tirin glanced at Nella.

"You don't seem that excited about the language classes."

Nella glanced away. "Juno once showed me what the languages are like. It was the one thing I didn't understand."

Iota squeezed Nella's hand carefully. "You can't understand everything automatically. Don't worry; if I know you you'll get it eventually."

Nella smiled in response. Exactly twenty minutes from when they sat down the Fallen and Marian came to the table. "It is time to go," the Fallen said, before stepping away. Marian smiled at them.

"I'm so sorry about the Fallen. He's not that understanding when it comes to children. Come to where we met you once you've finished eating." She moved to follow the Fallen, stopping him from being the first to speak to the table where Giro and Viru were sitting.

Tirin sighed. "I must prefer Marian over the Fallen. Though I wish we could have the Hunter and the Finder back; I like them better."

The other two agreed before standing and making their way over to the rest of their Year. Remon seemed to have already taken the position of leader that he normally took, waving the proper students over. It took another minute before the Fallen and Marian joined them.

Without another word the Fallen began to lead them through the halls. Marian turned around and walked backwards so that she could address the Year. "You have the Basic Language class first this year; there will be a new notebook waiting for you."

Nella seemed nervous about the class, the first time Tirin and Iota had seen her as such. Still, when they reached the room Nella rushed to the front as she normally did while Tirin and Iota stayed to the middle.

Iota stared down at the board, seeing a collection of writing on the board. It was all in a language she had never seen before. If she guessed correctly, however, it was Raxacoricofallapatorian; the language of the first planet they had learned about. She was quickly proved correct.

There was no warmth in her chest during the class, but Iota could feel herself learning regardless. It didn't come to her naturally, but it wasn't difficult. It just…was.

They learned a few of the words of the language. The professor demonstrated a few sentences and asked them to repeat it. Iota felt the ability Time Lords naturally have kick in. Languages were quickly adopted into Time Lord's brains from spending so long around the TARDISes and the Time Vortex. However, it was easier for them to understand the spoken and written language rather than speaking and writing it on their own. She knew that eventually she would be able to speak the language easily, even if she didn't truly know what any of the words meant then. After taking multiples of the class she would begin to understand; that was how all Time Lords were.

Nella rushed right to them as soon as the class was over. She looked close to tears. "That was terrible. I didn't understand a single thing; everything seemed to blur together." Quickly Iota pulled her into her arms. She was shorter than her friend, but Nella didn't seem to mind. "Thank you."

"You'll get it." Tirin rubbed Nella's back. "Don't worry; we believe in you." He smiled. "Besides, you have to be able to lecture me on the language when the exams come again. And maybe it's just Raxacoricofallapatorian; you might be amazing with others."

Marian smiled back at them. She appeared to have heard everything they said. All the students were glad she didn't mind them talking and the Fallen rarely said a word. They were able to hold whispered conversations that they had gotten in trouble for multiple times in the past year.

"I don't really like how we have to go right back into classes." Tirin commented. "It would be nicer if we had more days of break between the exams and classes again."

"True." Iota said. Her eyes were drawn to a group of students. The Hunter and the Finder were leading them around; they were First Year Novices. All the children looked terrified. They turned down their eyes as they passed Iota's Year. She couldn't help but wonder if that was how her Year had been the year before.

Nella smiled. "I like it. It's nice to just have constant learning after spending the first eight years doing nothing."

"But we have 400 years to learn! I just wish we had longer breaks." Tirin sighed. "It would make this more bearable."

Nella's eyes widened. "How is this not bearable? I can't think of a better way to spend 400 years of my life."

"Not everyone is like you Nella." Iota quickly reminded her, not wanting to deal with the fight that was no doubt brewing. She stepped up so that she walked between both of them and they spend the rest of the time walking to the next class in silence.

-I-

During the first study period of the day, Nella went searching in the library for a book that would describe the basics of Raxacoricofallapatorian. She had seemed irritated the entire day that she hadn't understood the class. It didn't seem to occur to her that they had other assignments to complete.

Instead of doing the same, Iota attempted to teach Tirin what they had learned in maths that day. She had understood as much as him, nothing, but Nella was too busy to help either of them. Their best hope was attempting to teach each other.

As much as both of them tried, nothing worked. When they went to dinner later they left understanding nothing more. Nella had taken a book on Raxacoricofallapatorian from the library and seemed entranced in the words. She was speaking quietly. Iota could faintly identify them as words from the language. She didn't know what any of the words meant, however.

It took most of dinner for Tirin and Iota to convince Nella that she had to work on the work assigned instead of focusing on Raxacoricofallapatorian the rest of the evening. She sighed, but agreed. She could always go ask the professor the next time they had a class on Raxacoricofallapatorian.

Once Nella was focused on the assigned work again, she quickly helped Tirin and Iota understand basically what they had learned in maths. As they had expected, they understood easily after Nella explained. They teased her that she should choose her title as the Professor when she finally got to pick; she loved to teach and learn so much.

She was quick to deny them. It was too early to even begin considering what they would pick during the Naming Ceremony. There were four hundred years; who knows what could change about them in that long of a time?

Neither Tirin nor Iota argued with her. It was better to just nod and agree with whatever she said.

-I-

One morning, as they made their way to the Basic Language class, Nella was flipping through her Basic Cultures notebook to discover what language they would be learning that day.

"Well, we learned about Earth in the corresponding day to today." Nella shrugged, putting the notebook away. "I wonder which language of Earth we'll be learning about."

"Well, we did spend a few days on Earth because of the different 'countries'." Tirin smiled. "I love that word. 'Countries'. It sounds important." The second time he said the word he said it in the English the professor had referred to it in. It sounded strange amongst the Modern Gallifreyan the three had been speaking before.

Nella laughed slightly. "Only you, Tirin. Only you. Likely we'll be spending a lot of time on Earth because of the sheer about of cultures and languages. We only got through four of them last year, of course."

"Didn't we learn about England first?" Iota furrowed her brow, attempting to remember. "Does that mean we'll be learning English first?"

Nella shrugged. "Maybe. We'll wait and see."

A few minutes later they sat at their normal positions in the room, staring down at the professor who had begun to write the spidery language on the board. Iota had known that they would be learning the language at some point before the Visiting Day, since Theta had told her about the class he had been taking on the language. But she had hoped they would have a bit longer to wait.

It felt strange to be writing the straight lines and small letters of the language over the paper. She watched as the letters seemed to march across the page like insects. It looked so different to the other words that danced across the page in the circle filled language of Gallifreyan. Iota couldn't understand how Theta enjoyed learning the language. She hated it.

Tirin seemed to share her opinion on the language. After the class ended they engaged in an eager discussion on the terribleness of it. Nella had grabbed both their notebooks from them and was furiously reading through. She didn't bother attempting to enter their conversation.

Heph Tro seemed to hear Tirin and Iota's conversation. She stormed up to them. "How dare you! You can't disgrace the English language like that!"

"We're not disgracing it." Tirin glanced at Nella to make sure she wouldn't side with Heph Tro. There was no way they would be able to speak again if Nella began. "We're just talking about the drawbacks we see."

Heph Tro crossed her arms. "You barely know anything about it! How can you expect to form any sort of opinion on it?"

"And you know more than us?"

Heph Tro smiled widely. "Actually, I do. I've spent at least one of the study periods per day learning about the different languages. According to the professor, I can already speak practically perfect English."

"Well, not everybody knows as much as you do."

Heph Tro laughed. "Yes, I know. That much is obvious." She eyed Nella before leaving. The girl had seemed so nice and eager to learn when Iota had talked to her the year before. She seemed to have changed into someone who made fun of those who didn't know as much about languages as she did.

"I don't like her that much." Tirin glared at Heph Tro's back. "She's not that nice."

Iota shoved Nella playfully with her shoulder. "I'm glad we're friends with Nella; she would never be like Heph Tro."

"And one of the reasons is because I don't understand a single thing about this." Nella said in a whisper, though both Tirin and Iota heard her. They went silent quickly after. It was clear the fact Nella didn't understand bothered her more than it bothered Tirin and Iota. They both began to glare at Heph Tro, something that brought a smile onto Nella's face.

Iota wasn't known for glaring at people.

**A/N: Nella has found the first class she's not good at; everyone has one of those. Nella didn't expect that to happen to her though. Time will tell if that changes, however.**

**And it is Iota's first class on English! I found it amusing that the Doctor's sister, of all people, doesn't like Earth or English that much.**

**Another member of Iota's class has been introduced; Heph Tro. I have the entire list written out, and all should have some mention at some point in the story.**

**Before I get to the answers to the reviews, I have to apologize for not posting this week. Now that my school and dance have started up, the only days I have any time free is the weekends. This means that I'll only be able to post chapters on the weekends, meaning this story is going to take even long to continue. So sorry, but I just don't have the time to go through the chapter and edit it every day.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Lil Angel 927: But now the second year has started, so more challenges are coming her way._

_I'msorrymylove: Fluff scenes will be coming in the future (far in the future, but still; they'll be coming). Don't worry. Something is preventing her from telling anyone, but if she could she'd definitely tell Koschei. He'd have a much better reaction then Theta. And thank you for that amazing compliment._

_Henny14: Thank you! Now that the first year is over, I'll be skipping around to important events. I just wanted to give an example of one of the years, and the first year seemed to be an obvious choice._

_DW (Guest): Thanks! The Visiting Day Iota gets to go home is coming up, and that's extremely exciting. It felt like an interesting time in their lives to explore, especially since we know what happens between them later._


	22. Part 1: Chapter Twenty-Two

All three of the friends began counting down the days until Visiting Days, when they would finally be allowed to return home. It was enjoying to spend every day with their friends but they had begun to get a bit tired of it. It had become more difficult for Iota to keep Nella and Tirin from arguing constantly. She found herself having to stand between them wherever they went and occasionally shoving her hands over their mouths to silence them.

They tended to argue most about if school was enjoyable or boring. Tirin took the stance that it was terrible and he would much rather prefer death, while Nella stood by the idea that it was amazing and wonderful. Iota was unlucky enough not to have a strong opinion either way, which meant each of them constantly tried to get her to join their side.

Meals were especially difficult because there was nowhere for any of them to escape to. They ate in silence, though Iota attempted to get them to talk about things nonacademic. No matter how hard she tried, Nella would always bring the conversation back in a large circle to the classes they had that day.

The Hunter walked up to their table once during lunch, when the three of them sat in silence. There were only two days until the Visiting Days and Iota was wishing desperately for the time to pass faster. She knew they would get better after a few days apart.

"How has life as Second Year Novices been treating you?" The Hunter seemed to address his question more to Iota, but he made sure not to outright ignore Nella and Tirin. He glanced at the two of them before looking back to Iota.

"It's been different." Iota smiled at him. She had barely spoken to anyone outside of her fellow Year members. As nice as Marian was, she didn't tend to have conversations with the students and both Theta and Koschei seemed busy with their own schooling. Braxiatel hadn't even come to see Nella.

The Hunter smiled back at her. "Understandable. I know you, like most students, are glad Visiting Days are coming soon."

Nella took the chance to nod. "I can't wait to tell my mother what the Academy has been like." Iota couldn't help but notice Nella didn't mention her father. She knew that Nella had only seen her father twice, but she had hoped that the man would come to see how his second daughter liked the Academy. Nella clearly thought he would not.

"Before I leave, I would like to congratulate all of you on passing the exams." The Hunter bowed in goodbye before walking away.

Almost immediately after he left the Found came to the table. Nella straightened her back and neatly crossed her arms on the table. She politely nodded in greeting to the professor.

"I've heard you have been having some trouble with languages," the Found said bluntly, something that caused Nella to turn beet red. Iota and Tirin looked away. They didn't want to interfere on Nella's conversation with the professor. They knew they would not live to see another day if they did.

"Yes, I am." Nella glanced away before looking back to the Found, holding her chin high in the air. "I am working outside of class in order to understand what I don't in class."

The Found smiled at that. "I've heard that as well. In order to help you I've found a professor who will be willing to help you during study sessions. Well it is good you are learning on your own, a professor's help will assist you even more." He stepped aside. Both Tirin and Iota looked up to see who it was.

Ulysses stood there, his hands locked in front of him. His eyes flickered to Iota once before back to Nella. "Hello Nella. I am Ulysses." Though both Ulysses and Nella had been introduced, it was proper form to pretend they hadn't been. Nella nodded, though she didn't say anything. "You are a Second Year Novice, correct?"

"Yes."

Ulysses seemed to be ignoring Iota, something she didn't mind. She knew that once they were home her mother would make them talk at some point. She had no wish to talk to him, however. Every time she saw him she could only remember how he laughed at the fact she said the TARDISes were alive and she felt anger. She preferred that she never had to see each other again so that she didn't have to feel the anger that felt so strange in her.

Iota blinked. It wasn't like her to not want to see someone. Even though she didn't like some of the people in her Year, she wanted to see them in order to know that they were still there. But she didn't want to see her father. Something inside her wished for the same thing Nella had and that she never saw her father.

That made Iota take in a breath. How could she wish for Nella's life? Nella never saw her father and it was terrible for her. How would it be any different for Iota? She shook her head slightly. She loved her father and just disagreed with him on something. That didn't mean she wanted him out of her life.

"I am a language professor here." Ulysses' voice drew Iota out of her thoughts. Tirin seemed to be watching her carefully. "After the Visiting Days I will meet you every second study period to work on assisting you with learning languages."

Nella nodded. "Thank you, Professor."

Ulysses gave her a small smile before walking away. The Found nodded goodbye to all three of them before following. Nella and Tirin quickly turned to Iota.

"You know, you haven't talked with your father for a long time," Tirin commented.

"And it didn't seem like you even acknowledged each other then. It was like each of you were pretending the other wasn't there. Why?"

Iota pushed her food away from her. She didn't feel hungry any more. "We had an argument last year about this time and we haven't talked since."

"What was the argument about?" Nella was quick to ask. She already seemed to be calculating what could have caused them to stop talking for so long.

"He said the TARDISes aren't alive. That they are just machines." Iota could tell her voice had gained a defensive quality to it. Almost as if she was daring Tirin or Nella to try her. Instead of fighting back as she could tell they wanted to, both stayed silent.

Iota was glad. Her vision had become spotted with black dots and her head had begun to pound. She wouldn't have been able to bring herself to fight them back without snapping at them or shouting.

-I-

The morning of the first Visiting Days began with Nella and Iota waking at the same time. Somehow, Tirin and Nella had managed not to argue for the two days between the professors coming to them at lunch and the first Visiting Day. They walked together to the dining hall, accompanied by all the other girls from their Year. Somehow they managed to all be walking past each other's rooms at the proper time in order to walk together.

Unlike the normal mornings, the entire Year sat together to eat. From what Iota could tell most of them would be walking together back home since most lived in the Citadel, but a few would be going to the multiple mountains around Gallifrey. Those that lived farther away would be taking a shuttle back, while the ones who lived closer would be walking.

As soon as breakfast ended all the students who would be leaving on Visiting Days went together through the halls of the Academy. They stood around in the main hall waiting for the proper professors to arrive.

The walls stretched high above their heads and curved to a glass dome for the ceiling. They were covered in what Nella quickly identified as Old High Gallifreyan. The writing seemed to move and twists like gears.

Theta tapped Iota on the shoulder. "Come on. Ulysses is waiting for us over there." He pointed. Iota could see a few other students waiting there, all much older than her. Koschei was waiting there as well. Iota and Tirin gave Nella quick hugs each before following Theta through the crowd.

They had to wait for a few more students to arrive. Ulysses seemed to be marking them off in his head as they arrived. Iota made certain to stay as far away from him as she could. Tirin, Theta and Koschei stood next to her.

"Good job on passing," Koschei commented, smiling. "Sorry I never got a change to say that before now. Ushas had us working even harder than before."

Iota flashed him a smile. "Thanks. Good job on passing with an eighty-three." She turned to look at Theta. "Though if I remember correctly, you only passed with a fifty-nine."

Theta grinned widely. "Hey, at least I still passed. Fifty-nine is the best I've gotten so far."

"No matter how much I have him studying, he still hasn't gotten out of the fifties." Koschei sighed, shaking his head. "Ushas has taken to hitting his arm each time he gets a question wrong. She says he destroys our image."

"Image?"

Theta and Koschei exchanged a smile. "The image of our group. We call ourselves the Deca."

"The top students of your Year, right?" Iota asked. She could remember what Koschei had told her. "Even though Theta's the farthest from top student there could be."

"Hey!" Theta hit her arm lightly. "Don't be so mean."

Ulysses shot them all a glance, making them go silent. "It's time to leave." Without another word he led the students out of the room. Iota glanced back to see that Nella was waiting in her own group. She smiled when she saw that the Fallen was the one taking them home. She was interested to hear how it went with him being his silent self.

They were only walking for a few minutes, separated into their separate colors, when Theta turned to stare at Iota. "Have you talked to Ulysses lately? I haven't seen you talking to him since last year."

Tirin stepped forward. He knew that Iota would attempt to deny it. "She hasn't. And when he came to talk to Nella two days ago it was like they were ignoring each other."

"We were ignoring each other," Iota mumbled.

Theta seemed more shocked at that then Koschei. Or at least, he seemed more outwardly shocked. Koschei only widened his eyes. "Why?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Iota looked down to her hands.

Tirin clearly wasn't letting her get away free. "They had an argument on if TARDISes are alive or not."

Theta pulled Iota into a side hug. "Okay, that's something to be mad at him about." Theta had always agreed with their mother when she said the TARDISes were alive. "But he's our father; you can't be mad at him forever." He pushed her slightly forwards. "Go talk to him."

Iota turned and glared at him. "No. I won't."

"You know your mother is just going to make you walk when you get home, right? It would be better to get it over with now," Koschei pointed out, gaining a glare from Iota as well. Tirin seemed to have decided it was finally time to go silent. Koschei shoved Iota gently as well. "Go on."

Iota sighed. She knew there was no way she wouldn't be able to; Theta and Koschei would keep bugging her about it the entire walk home. And she knew her mother would make them talk. Her mother always seemed able to sense when two people were angry at each other. She might even stand in to listen and try to help. The only way to talk without someone who mattered listening in was to talk to him now.

She took a deep breath, glared at Koschei and Theta, and made her way through the crowd to where Ulysses walked in the front.

"Hello Ulysses," She greeted him. Ulysses looked down at her in shock.

"Iota." He nodded to her. "I haven't seen you in a while." Iota knew he was lying; they had technically seen each other two days ago and when she became a Second Year Novice. But they hadn't had true contact since their argument. "What would you like to talk about?"

**A/N: I felt it would make sense that Koschei, Theta and Tirin would team up to make Iota talk to Ulysses again. Hopefully the conversation goes better than the last one!**

**But now it's the first Visiting Days they go home; the wonderful trio is away from other influences. Who knows what trouble they could get into! And Theta and Iota's mother is back.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_I'msorrymylove: Now you have to wait until next weekend; sorry! I wish I had time to post daily again. I'm so glad; it's amazing to hear that!_

_Teddy bear 007: I hope you liked her; it's fun to give each member of Iota's Year a different personality/interest._

_DW (Guest): Exactly the same way Nella thinks :). But now she has a professor (Ulysses) to help her, so that makes it better. Thank you! I know, so long. Tirin's looking forward to it :). Homework can be a pain when it comes to fanfic, can't it? Heph Tro is a character I invented. All of Iota's Year is like that, which gives me full reign over the characters. Thank you! I hope to :)._


	23. Part 1: Chapter Twenty-Three

The students around Iota and Ulysses all seemed to step away, leaving an empty circle around them. They all cast Iota apprehensive looks before a whisper traveled through them that she was Ulysses' daughter. It was very quickly silent around them after that.

"Um…" Iota began to wring her hands together, pulling on her fingers as she did so. "Well, we haven't talked for a year."

Ulysses nodded in agreement. "I am sorry about that. Our last conversation ended in an argument and I haven't had a chance to apologize for my words."

Iota felt herself begin to blush. "I'm sorry for my reaction as well." She had run away after the argument and had not attempted to contact him at all. It was like she was a small child again. Even though she was only nine, she felt so much older than when she was six and running after her brother as he left for the Academy. Something had changed in her during the three years.

"I'm just worried for you." Ulysses glanced at her again. He had been looking at the path in front of them as though he didn't want to look at her. When she looked up she could see his jaw was clenched. "I don't want you anything to happen to you."

Their last conversation had ended with him warning her if she didn't stop talking about the TARDISes like she had been, she would be seen as going mad. No one would know what would happen to her then. Carefully, though her face still burned red, she reached out and squeezed his hand.

"Don't worry, Papa." Iota couldn't help but feel happy when she saw his face turn a pale red. The students around them began to whisper in amusement at the fact she called him 'papa'. "I'll be careful."

Neither of them dared mention what they were worried about. There was no age limit that people were taken away; it could happen the moment they looked at the Untempered Schism or right before they went to the Naming Ceremony. The students around them could easily spread a rumor about her if they knew.

"I believe you. The only thing you aren't careful about is making a comment to fellow children that starts an argument and makes Theta and Koschei come save you." His eyes sparkled with amusement.

Iota looked away. She didn't know that her father knew about that; Theta and Koschei had told her they would keep it quiet. None of them wanted her parents to worry. They all were thankful when she finally stopped talking to the other children and kept to herself. Well, Iota wasn't fully glad about it. The fact that no children wanted to talk with her hurt. So far, nothing similar had happened at the Academy. She supposed that was good.

"Are you looking forwards to being back home and seeing your mother?" Ulysses asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"One of the main things I'm glad about is the fact we finally have some days off from classes." Iota couldn't help but wonder if their conversation would follow the same pattern as their last one. They had started with school and then somehow it went to TARDISes.

Ulysses raised an eyebrow. "I've realized that's a common opinion among students. There has never been a Year where anyone liked to be at school the entire year. Everyone needs breaks; even the professors." He grinned at her. "It's one of the reasons I became a professor that brings students home every Visiting Day and leaves to bring students to their Initiation Day." He leaned down to whisper. "Otherwise I'd have to spend the entire time working. Now I can just shove all the work off onto the other professors."

Iota felt herself begin to giggle. She was glad that Koschei, Theta and Tirin had pushed her to talk to her father again. She had missed him. Without a second thought she reached out and pulled him into a hug from the side. Ulysses seemed shocked at the action but quickly hugged her back, creating even more whispers around them. Iota knew that the students would be getting a firm talking to later.

Iota remained with Ulysses for the rest of the time returning home. Theta, Koschei and Tirin joined them halfway through the walk. Ulysses began to quiz Tirin on how good of a friend he was to Iota, making her blush and Koschei tease her endlessly. Theta seemed certain to embarrass them even more by sharing stories he had heard about them.

She was glad when they reached the bottom of the mountain. There were a few parents waiting there to bring the groups even more up the mountain to their homes. Tirin and Iota hugged quickly before he began to walk with someone who appeared to be his mother; they had the same red hair. Theta, Koschei and Iota followed Ulysses up the mountain. Two students followed them and left almost ten minutes on the walk.

Her mother was waiting a few steps away from the entrance to Iota's family estate. Iota rushed forward and jumped into her mother's arms. They didn't speak, only hugged. But it worked, since Iota didn't want to talk. She only wanted to spend as much time as she could with her mother so that she would last for another two years.

Iota was forced to step aside so that Theta could hug their mother as well. She walked to where Koschei stood. "Aren't you going to go home to your estate?" She asked him as Koschei stood with his arms crossed watching Theta and her mother.

"Remember two years ago? I stay with you and Theta until later in the day when my father comes to bring me home." Koschei rubbed her head. "We get tomorrow to ourselves though before we leave the next day."

Theta bounded over to the two of them. "Mamma said we get the rest of the day to ourselves because your father is busy with a visitor," he explained to Koschei. "You might even be able to spend the night."

"Why can't I go home myself? I'm twelve." Koschei frowned, crossing his arms. "I know the way."

"Don't you want to spend time with us?" Iota hated that she felt herself beginning to tear up. She was nine; she couldn't cry over something so silly.

Koschei seemed to realize that he had upset her. Quickly, he pulled her into his arms and squeezed tightly. "Of course. I just don't like how my father thinks I'm too young to do anything on my own."

Instead of responding, Iota pulled Koschei by his hand towards the fields behind Koschei's family estate. The fields began close to her home, so it wasn't that far of a run. But it was far enough away from the main building of his estate that no one would notice them there. Both Koschei and Theta laughed as they followed.

As they had spent a day two years before, the three began to run through the fields. Iota, being the slowest out of them, was constantly caught and tackled into a tickling fit. After a few minutes the three sat in a circle, all in different poises. Theta was lying on his back looking up to the sky, Koschei was on his stomach with his feet in the air and Iota was sitting crisscrossed.

"We should have a secret hideout," Koschei commented. Iota, who had been playing with the grass around her, looked at him in confusion.

"Why do we need one of those?"

Koschei shrugged. "Well, wouldn't it be interesting to have a place we could go where no one could find us? Our parents can find us here but they wouldn't be able to find us in the place we found."

Theta pushed himself up onto his arms. "I like that idea." He pointed to the silver forests that bordered the fields. "We can look in the forests for a good place."

Iota crossed her arms. "I like the idea, but I still don't know the point."

Koschei and Theta stood as one. "Well, you don't have to come. It can just be Theta's and mine." With a smile, he pulled Theta lightly by his shoulder so that they faced the forest and began to make their way through the grass. Iota glared at their backs, as though it would make them turn around and come back. She wanted to follow them but she didn't want them to have a secret hideout. It made it seem like the two boys were attempting to hide something.

Without another thought, Iota jumped up and raced to follow them. She stopped between them and linked her arms through theirs; making it obvious she wasn't leaving them. They didn't say anything but she saw them exchange smiles above her head.

The three stopped at the edge of the forest. The silver trees swayed in the wind and it sounded like music filled the air. Iota hated that she hadn't bothered going to the forest before then. For years she had stayed in the fields because of the beautiful red of the grass, not even caring about the forests she could see.

"Um…where do we start?" Theta glanced at Koschei.

Koschei shrugged. "Let's just look around for a cave or something. We can split up."

"Shouldn't we stay together so we don't get lost?" Iota asked as they stepped into the forest. Theta nodded as though he agreed, but it was clear Koschei didn't.

"We'll find the right place faster if we split up."

"But we also might get lost in the forest, never to be seen again," Theta pointed out. Iota was glad he was on her side. Even though she could call Koschei her friend, he would listen to Theta more than he would listen to her. It was just a fact she had learned to accept.

Koschei sighed and crossed his arms. "Fine." He pointed in one direction. "Let's go that way."

It took about thirty minutes for Iota to spot a cave partially covered by vines. Koschei and Theta walked into the cave first, both firmly telling Iota to wait outside. She did, for about two seconds, before following them.

The inside of the cave was barely tall enough for Koschei and Theta to stand straight up, but it had enough space for two of them to lie in a line. It was relatively dirty inside and the three knew their robes would be destroyed if they stayed longer. It had already been difficult enough to convince their parents to play outside; they had had to convince them they could play outside without dirtying the robes too much. Coming back with their robes destroyed from the cave would mean they would never play outside again.

Though all three were upset they couldn't stay, they swore that they would return the next day in older robes that no one would mind if they became dirty. They walked back up to Theta's and Iota's estate to find their mother waiting for them.

"Your father sent a maid to tell us that you would be spending the night here." She told Koschei. "You will be sleeping in Theta's room."

Koschei mock pouted at that. "Aw. I was hoping to sleep in Iota's room." Her mother was quick to whack him playfully on the side of his head. He smiled, but Iota felt herself blushing. She had blushed a lot that day.

Koschei ate dinner with them that night. It was strange; since Iota couldn't remember a single time he had done that before. Normally his father would come to yank him home so that his mother wouldn't get upset. They ate in silence, with Koschei sitting between Theta and Iota. Their parents seemed to be watching the three children very carefully.

Her mother ushered them to bed as soon as dinner was over. She told them that since they had spent most of the day walking it would only make sense for them to get rest so that they could spend the next day freely. The three exchanged a glance, communicating silently that Iota would come to Theta's room after their parents thought they were asleep.

Iota felt a burst of happiness as she understood their meaning. It wasn't normal that one eleven year old and one twelve year old boy invited a nine year old girl to join them, especially when one of the boys was the girl's older brother.

Iota could remember what Theta had told her their mother had told him when she was born. She had known that the two would be close. It was the reason she had followed a similar pattern with their names, while Braxiatel had something different entirely.

Iota dreaded the day when Theta and Koschei would turn to her and tell her that they didn't want her to come along with them anymore.

**A/N: So much sweetness between Theta, Koschei and Iota today :). And they're getting a secret hideout, which is just added cuteness.**

**And Ulysses and Iota are talking again, which is always good. Thankfully the conversation went well. He and Iota were close before the Academy, but that will change as time progresses, as everything does.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_I'msorrymylove: Not weird at all :). Hopefully this chapter didn't make you freak out too much!_

_Teddy bear 007: I'm glad you think this is going well so far. It makes me happy to know it's not too blocky. Hopefully the future remains the same._

_Paradox Predator: Thank you! I know it's a long time, but education is important to Time Lords. I've looked at that website before and used it slightly, but mainly I'm using the Doctor Who Wiki and expanding upon that with my own ideas. Please tell me if I get anything important wrong; I'll attempt to correct it._

_Henny14: Thank you!_

_Guest: I don't really have time to post often anymore; so sorry!_

_DW (Guest): Thank you! I hope the beginning of the Visiting Days is satisfactory. I'm excited too; she'll be very relieved when it happens. I have a few ideas already about the Time War and am working to compile even more ideas. Everyone will be out of the Academy when the war starts, allowing them to have time experiencing the society of adult Time Lords, as well as to grow their relationships and lives further._


	24. Part 1: Chapter Twenty-Four

Her mother closed the door to her room after wishing her a goodnight, encasing Iota in darkness. Iota leapt off her bed and rushed to the door. She pressed her ear against the surface to listen. Her mother's footsteps echoed through the hall. Carefully, she pulled the door open and peeked her head out of the room, watching as her mother's blonde hair whisked around the corner. She had vanished down the hall Iota had to go down in order to make her way to Theta's room.

Iota pulled the skirt of her nightgown up off the ground so that she wouldn't trip. She held her breath as she began to walk, expecting her mother to turn around and start coming down the hall again. It wasn't as though she was breaking a rule by leaving her room at night. She had done it multiple times to sit outside and watch the stars with her mother. The only rule she was breaking was going to Theta's room with Koschei there.

She paused at the end of the hall, watching as her mother stepped into a room. It was passed Theta's room, meaning Iota had no reason to walk past it. But the first words she heard her father say once her mother entered made her walk over and lean against the wall to the side so that she could listen.

"I'm worried for Iota."

"Why?" Her mother sounded shocked. There was a crinkle as she sat down in a chair. Iota knew that it wasn't their bedroom; instead it was a sitting room.

"I'm worried what child she was at the Untempered Schism," he said it bluntly.

Her mother gasped. "What do you mean?"

"I know you believe that TARDISes are alive, and they are in some sense. But she spoke of them as though they were Time Lords. As though they felt and thought as we do."

Her mother took a long time to respond. "I understand. Are you keeping an eye on her at the Academy?"

"Yes. Two professors have taken an interest in her ability with TARDISes. When she went to the TARDIS cradle she sensed something was wrong. They've been keeping a watch on her as well."

Iota shivered and left the wall. She didn't want to listen in anymore on their conversation. It made her mind hurt.

She stopped at Theta's door. With a glance to the room her parents were in, she knocked quietly. Theta's eye appeared in a crack between the door and the wall before he opened it. "Did anyone see you?"

"No." Theta smiled and stepped aside so that she could enter. Koschei was hanging off the edge of the bed, using his hands to support himself on the ground. He turned his head and Iota giggled to see how bright red his face was from hanging upside down.

Theta shot his hand over her mouth. "Shush. They can't hear us." After she glared down at his hand he took it off. "We have to speak in whispers."

Iota held her finger over her mouth as she made her way to the bed, jumping up beside Koschei. Theta fell onto his stomach. They had a small light on the table that cast light onto the bed, but left the rest of the room in the dark.

"Where are you sleeping Koschei?" She asked him. Koschei pointed to the mess of blankets and pillows on the ground a bit away from the bed. "That doesn't look comfy."

Koschei poked her in the arm, the only part of her he could reach. "It's better than sharing a bed with that idiot." He pointed to Theta. "I already have to share a room with him all the time at the Academy!"

There was a sound in the hall and all three froze. As carefully as he could, Theta pulled the blanket over Iota and Koschei slid so that he was on his bed. The moment after he arrived there, the door slid open. Light streamed in, illuminating the room. Theta was spread out on top of the blanket and partially on top of Iota.

"See, nothing to worry about," Ulysses said. "They're both asleep. And clearly Iota's not here, so we don't have to check on her as well."

Her mother sighed. "Very well." The door closed and they were encased in darkness once more. The three lay still for a second before all shooting up sitting at once. Iota's hair was sticking up in every direction, Theta had a small bit of drool falling from his mouth and Koschei was rubbing his head where he had hit it when he fell onto the bed. Apparently the pillow he chose wasn't as soft as he had hoped.

"Do you think Ulysses knows that you're here?" Koschei asked, looking to Iota.

Iota shrugged. "I don't know how he could. But he might." Even though she had been under the blanket when her parents stood in the door, she had felt someone staring right where she lay. And she knew it wasn't Theta or Koschei. "He didn't tell on us though."

"True." Theta wiped his mouth as if he only just then realized the drool was there. He turned to look at Iota. "You might be wondering why you're here."

Iota nodded, making herself bounce on the bed. "I was wondering, actually."

"Well, we don't actually have an answer." Koschei had crawled back over to the bed and was resting his arms on the edge of the bed. "We don't really know what we're doing right now."

Theta shrugged. "I said we could explore the estate in the dark, but Koschei turned that idea down. He said there was more of a chance we could get caught if we did that." Koschei didn't look like he wanted to defend himself.

Iota pushed herself off the bed and walked to the window. The stars shined high in the dark sky and the moon shone behind a mountain. She pointed to one of the stars. "What's that star's name?"

Both Koschei and Theta came up on either side of her. They squinted. "I don't know." Theta frowned.

"No idea." Koschei seemed more upset at the fact he didn't know then Theta was. "Why do you ask?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"I wonder if it has a planet near it," Theta sighed.

Iota turned with a smile to her brother. "Well, let's think up an alien race for the planet. Let's make up a story for it."

Koschei seemed much more hesitant then Theta was. Immediately, Theta launched into a story about how the planet was populated by one inch tall beings and two hundred foot trees. Koschei added a comment about the weather and soon the two were going back and forth with different aspects about the planet they invented.

After they had begun debating the politics of said planet, Iota felt she had to step in. "Okay, that was amazing." She pulled them so that they were sitting looking out the window. "Where's the first place you want to travel when you finish the Academy?"

Theta leapt onto the question. "Earth."

Koschei shrugged. "Anywhere. Everywhere. I want to see everything in the entire universe."

Iota considered her own question carefully. She didn't want to go to a planet; the only place she wanted to be was on Gallifrey with the shining mountains and red grass. Her face shifted into a smile as she remembered the feeling when she entered the TARDIS cradle. The warmth and the song she had heard. "The TARDIS farms. I want to get my pilots license right away."

"That's not a place."

"Yes it is."

Time Lords weren't required to get a TARDIS license. Most made it through their lives perfectly happily on Gallifrey, using only the shuttles to get from planet to planet if it was required for their profession. But some wished to travel through time to witness even more events. Some wanted to travel on their own. And to do that they needed a license. But they weren't allowed to do so until after their Naming Ceremony.

Theta seemed more understanding then Koschei. "What about after that?"

She shrugged. "The same as Koschei. Everywhere."

In response, Koschei gave her a quick hug. "Finally, someone who agrees with me. Theta keeps saying Earth first and everything else second."

"But knowing Theta, he'll end up before the Earth actually existed." Iota smiled as Theta crossed his arms in annoyance. "I wonder how long it will take him to get his Pilot's License."

"I'm going to have to say never. He'll probably end up stealing a faulty TARDIS because he failed too many times to try again," Koschei laughed.

Theta huffed. "Thanks for the votes of confidence."

-I-

The second sun rising in the morning woke Koschei up first. He sat up blearily, wondering why he was on the ground. Theta was laying spread eagle and it sounded as though he was snoring. Iota was curled into a small ball at his side and very clearly had her thumb in her mouth. It was then that he remembered that they had fallen asleep looking up at the stars.

Iota had fallen asleep first. She had curled against Theta and he had been stroking her head slowly. Koschei and Theta had stared down at her in silence for a few minutes.

"When we leave the Academy, do you want to kidnap her and take her with us on our first adventure?" Theta had asked him, whispering as to not wake Iota.

He had smiled. "As long as we don't go to Earth. Let's find a planet with inch tall beings and two hundred foot trees and take her there."

Theta had nodded. "I like that idea. We have 400 years to find the right place."

The sun inched into the room, hitting Iota's hair first. It confused him how her hair shone. It wasn't like the silver leaves of the forest or the white snow on the mountain tops. It was something different.

Koschei shoved Theta slightly, forcing him awake. He looked between Iota and himself before sliding away from her. Iota woke a second later. "Uh oh."

"What?" The two boys asked together.

"What if Mamma came to see me this morning? And I'm not there?"

"I think there would be much more noise outside if that happened. They would probably tear the estate apart to find you." Iota smiled at Koschei as she stood and made her way to the door.

With a cheerful wave, she left the room. She knew if her mother had gone to her room already they would know already. But she didn't want to risk it any more. There was already the possibility that Ulysses knew, but they could attempt to keep it from her mother. If Koschei wasn't there it would be fine. But he was and she knew her mother would go ballistic.

Thankfully, she managed not to run into either adult on her way back to her room. As she searched for the proper robe she remembered the promise to wear an older robe that day. She smiled as she found a dark green one lying in the back of her collection. It had one hole on the side, but other than that it was fine.

Theta and Koschei were standing outside her room as she exited. They both had somber looks on their faces. "If we are to get in trouble, we're going to do it together." Theta attempted to make his voice deeper but it only made Iota laugh.

She stepped forwards and linked her arms through theirs with a spin. "Well, let's go then."

Ulysses gave the three of them a wink as they entered, but he didn't say anything. The three ate their food as quickly as they could. One reason was to lower the chance of getting in trouble. Another was so that they could hurry back to the forests and attempt to find the cave again.

Her mother eyed the robes but didn't say a word. The three children jumped from the table as one and rushed out the door, shouting quick goodbyes as they raced back to the forest. It took a few minutes to find the exact place again, but they did. Namely because Theta tripped on a rock and fell inside.

Theta and Koschei revealed that they were carrying a broom and a blanket. Iota was surprised that they had managed to fit an entire broom under their robes without anyone noticing, but they admitted they had grabbed it as they left the estate on the way to the forest.

They spent the morning cleaning as best they could. Every few minutes whichever boy held the broom would attempt to shove it towards Iota but she would swat it away and run out to spin among the trees. The other boy, who tended to be lounging on the blanket, would smile and chase after her, leaving the third to deal with the cleaning. Theta was the one who ended up cleaning the most.

**A/N: I think it's sweet how much Koschei and Theta care for Iota; they've already become protective over her. She doesn't seem to realize she currently has both boys wrapped around her finger.**

**I can't wait for the next chapter; so many moments of cuteness!**

**Notes on reviews:**

_I'msorrymylove: I'm glad you liked it :). Koschei and Iota will be getting a lot of fluff in the future, esspecially because their relationship starts when they're older and more open about their feelings._

_Teddy bear 007: Don't worry, I am :)._

_Lil Angel 927: I'm glad you think so. Sadly, being at home doesn't last long. They have to treasure it._


	25. Part 1: Chapter Twenty-Five

The three children trudged through the forest back to the estate. All of their robes were covered in dirt; the boys from cleaning and Iota from falling to the ground. She led the way back up to the estate, since falling to the ground caused less dirt to cover her then cleaning. Theta walked behind Koschei since he was the dirtiest. He didn't seem upset about the fact however; he seemed perfectly happy about it.

Both Iota's and Koschei's fathers stood outside the estate, watching the three make their way towards them. Iota glanced back at Koschei to find him nodding to her with confidence. She smiled back before stepping aside and letting him walk forward. The fathers looked surprised at the state of the children but didn't say anything about it.

"Come, Koschei," his father waved his son towards him. "It's time to go home." There was an unspoken word from Iota's father that she was required to curtsy in welcome.

Iota curtsied. The robe was about an inch off the ground and she didn't trip on it as last time. She smiled at the ground before blushing as she remembered Koschei's father was watching her. He seemed to smile at her reaction.

"Hello Iota Xi. Has the Academy been treating you well?"

Iota nodded. "It has been good, Sir. I am enjoying it."

"That is good." He gave her a slightly bow before turning to Theta. "And you, Theta Sigma? Are you keeping watch over your younger sister?"

Theta scratched his ear, where an insect had crawled. He let it fly away before speaking. "As best as I can, Sir. Koschei has been a great help as well."

Koschei's father turned to the boy with surprise. "Really? What makes Iota Xi worthy of your help?"

Everyone present knew it was not meant to be a serious question, though Koschei took longer then the rest to realize. He blushed deeply. "S-sh-she's my friend." His eyes flashed between all of them before he frowned and crossed his arms. "Just my friend. And she's Theta's sister. And sh-"

Koschei's father laughed and wrapped his arm around his son, pulling him away. Iota's father eyed Theta with a smile. "I take it a game of tag was more difficult than you thought, given how dirty you three are." He smiled to Iota. "How hard was he to catch?"

Iota giggled. "Very difficult, Papa. He kept saying I broke the rules by catching him." That part was the truth. When Theta was able to force Koschei to clean, he and Iota played a one on one game of tag. She caught him and he would squirm away claiming she hadn't actually caught him yet. When she asked what else she had to do, he ran.

Ulysses pulled Theta to him. He wrapped his arm around his son. "Come, Theta. Let us talk." They hadn't talked for the year, but it hadn't been by choice. Both had been too busy with work to find the time. "Your mother wants to walk with you, Iota, as well. She's watching the sky over the tops of the mountains." There was only one part of the estate where one could do that. There were many places where the mountain tops shone and the sky arched over it. But the best place was where her mother waited. Iota had sat with her there multiple times.

Her mother was sitting watching the sky. She fingered the grass by her hand as she stared up. Iota approached from behind. A grey capsule of a TARDIS from the TARDIS farms had managed to make its way to the mountains and was bouncing through the sky.

"I miss the TARDIS farms," her mother commented as she stood, turning back around to face her daughter. "I left because I wanted to, but I still miss them." She smiled down at Iota before reaching out a hand for her to take.

"Why did you leave?"

Her mother sighed. "I don't know, truly. TARDISes are amazing beings. I love them deeply. But it wasn't for me."

Iota stared down at the hands. "I was told that normally the children from families who work in the TARDIS farms show some connection to TARDISes. But you didn't."

Her mother looked surprised. "How did you know?"

"The Hunter and Percy told me."

Her mother nodded. She began to swing their hands through the air. "Those two were confused with me when I went to the Academy. Probably as much as you confuse them."

"What do you mean?"

"The only reason you would remember their names is because they believe you have a connection to the TARDISes. And since you haven't grown up around the TARDISes, it confuses them. When someone grows up around TARDISes they tend to naturally form a bond because the TARDISes care for them. You've only been around them once before."

Iota turned her attention up to her mother. "Why didn't you form a bond?"

She sighed. "It confused them as much as it did me. I think the TARDISes knew that I wasn't meant to be around them all my life. They gave me a gift by not giving me a bond in a way. I wouldn't feel indebted to them."

Iota tilted her head in consideration. "Then why is there a possibility that I have a bond with them?"

"They must have decided you were more worthy of it than I am." They could see Iota's father and Theta walking in the distance. The two seemed to be walking in silence with one saying the occasional word. Iota and her mother turned and watched the TARDIS that still flew in the sky. "I wonder how that one got this far."

"Why is it just flying?"

"I believe that it's a test for a TARDIS license. My family doesn't just go flying TARDISes on whims. One; it's dangerous because there's a reason TARDISes stay at the farms for as long as they do. And two;" she laughed, "my father would kill them."

Iota giggled. "Why would he kill them?"

"See reason one." Her mother pulled her to her side and squeezed gently. "My father's family is the one that made that rule. I'll take you back there the next Visiting Days you come home if you want. You can tell them about your tentative bond with TARDISes." She leaned down to whisper. "They might steal you to replace me."

"Well, I know Theta and Koschei would run to get me back." She reached to hug her mother's side. "But I would love that."

Iota couldn't explain it, but she wanted to see another TARDIS. She wanted to know if she would feel the same thing as when she went into the TARDIS cradle. She wanted the warmth that was good. The warmth the TARDIS cradle gave her was better than the warmth she felt in classes. It didn't hurt her. It was only good. And she wanted it desperately.

Most of all, she wanted to know if the singing she heard was real. If she heard it again that would mean it was. Being in a TARDIS did something to her and the only people she could ask were the families at the TARDIS farms.

Her mind burned as she considered the fact of telling someone. It was a different burn than before. This one felt like a warning. Like she wasn't ready and that it wasn't time. She had to wait to tell someone the true extent of what had happened.

She forced the consideration out of her head and the burning left. Iota smiled softly and kicked a rock on the ground before her.

Her mother and Iota walked in silence until dinner. Every time they spotted Theta and Ulysses the two seemed to be discussing something. The four met up at the entrance to the estate. Theta and Iota drifted away from their parents to each other. "Have you enjoyed your time at home?" he asked her with a wide grin.

"Much more then I used too." She looked around the hall that surrounded them. It was true that she didn't normally think much of their home. It had just been there for her. Nothing special. But after spending so long away, she wanted to stay longer. Even though she knew she couldn't.

"Same with me." Theta wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Though, honestly, it was more that I missed you at the Academy. Now I don't have to worry about that."

Iota felt herself blush. "There is no way you actually feel like that. If you did I wouldn't believe you were actually my brother."

"Okay, I may be exaggerating slightly." Theta held up his fingers and pressed them together. "I missed you about this much."

Iota shook her head in disbelief. "That still seems too little."

He separated his fingers. "This much?"

"Still too little."

Theta sighed and pulled his arm away from her. He spread his arms wide in the air. "How about this?"

Iota giggled. "If I said too little what would you do?"

Instead of responding he began to tickle her. Both parents looked back in amusement but they didn't do anything to stop Theta. He continued to tickle her all the way to the dining room. Iota was forced to shove him away with a laugh and run to the opposite side of the table in order to make him stop.

After staying up so late the night before, Iota was glad to go to sleep as early as her mother told her too. Though her mother's reason for going to sleep early was that they had to return to the Academy the next day. It would be bad form for a professor's daughter to fall asleep on the way back to the Academy.

Iota stared at the night sky that shone through her window. Her room didn't have the same view of stars and the moon that Theta's room did, but it had a view that had helped her fall asleep for years before.

She stepped out of bed and shuffled to the window, resting one of her hands on the glass. The TARDIS her mother and her had been watching had left, but another one had appeared as she entered her room to sleep. It was floating more steadily then the other ones she had seen.

Even though her mother had told her what a terrible idea it was for someone in the TARDIS farms to fly a TARDIS for fun, somehow Iota knew someone was doing just that. And she knew it was a student; someone who didn't have a license yet. She smiled and waved to it before walking back to her bed. There was no way they could see her but she felt right doing so.

It felt more like she was waving to the TARDIS then the person inside.

**A/N: A bit of Koschei embarrassment here. The two pairs of parents will enjoy teasing those two, as the parents of neighbors always do.**

**A little more information on Iota's mother here. But there's the promise of going to the TARDIS farms next Visiting Day.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Lil Angel 927: It does sound a bit creepy, true :)_

_Teddy bear 007: Don't worry, I will :)_

_I'msorrymylove: It's completely fine. I have to agree, Koschei and Iota are adorable together currently. That's one of the reasons I wanted to include this section of the story. It allows me to show more of the journey that leads up to multiple things and show different time periods for characters, such as Koschei being pre-Master. You never know, that may happen some day in the future. Thank you!_

_blackcat711: So sorry about that. I'm attempting to get better at that._

_Henny14: Thank you!_

_DW (Guest): It's alright; I hope you're feeling better! Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying what's happening now. I hope my ideas will be good enough; they still need a lot of work currently. Both are very stubborn, so it's surprising they made up so fast. But it is happy :). That's a very important part of his character; I'm glad it's making its way through. And thank you for that. As far as I know, they never mention what happens actually in the show. But in this story, if you get a pilots license you get a TARDIS of your own. Since he was forced to steal one, in this story that means he failed. But also, I can picture him failing. He seems like the type of person who would try and change something to make the flight smoother, but the tester wouldn't accept it as passing._


	26. Part 1: Chapter Twenty-Six

Koschei was waiting in the dining room the next morning as Iota walked in after waking from sleep. He was talking to Theta, who was eating his breakfast. None of their parents were waiting though. Both boys looked up as she entered. All three of them were already dressed in their uniforms.

"Good morning Iota!" Theta waved in welcome to her. He gestured to the table in front of them. "Ulysses and Mamma are having a walk. They'll come back when it's time to leave."

Iota smiled and made her way to the table. She sat across from them and pulled her own food onto her plate. Theta and Koschei were sitting next to each other but only Theta seemed to be eating.

"Are you excited to be going back?" Koschei asked, stealing a bit of Theta's food off his plate. He leaned across the table and tried to steal a piece of Iota's, though she swatted his hand. He grinned and simply stole something from Theta's plate instead.

Iota sighed as she considered it. She wouldn't say that she was excited. She was excited to see Tirin and Nella again, yes. And she was excited to learn about astronomy. But she wasn't excited for being away from home for so long again. Or to have to think about school work almost every second of every day.

Yes, she wanted to go back. But she wished they had more breaks throughout the year.

But she didn't want to answer with a 'yes'. "I don't know yet."

Theta and Koschei nodded together. "We understand."

Iota glanced around them to make certain their parents weren't around before saying her next statement. "We're going to have a secret hideout here. Do you two have one back at the Academy?"

Koschei frowned, sighing. "No. We started looking for one before we left. That's what gave me the idea to do it here."

"We're going to find one at the Academy before we become Apprentices though. We crossed our hearts." Theta gave an example by crossing his right heart, then his left one. Koschei quickly mimicked him.

Iota pushed a piece of food around on the plate before responding. "Will you tell me where it is?"

Theta reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry. We will."

"But if you don't respect it, we'll find a way to wipe your memory!" Koschei laughed. "Maybe one of those Memory Worms we learned about recently."

"We'd have to steal a TARDIS to find one," Theta commented, but he was smiling. Clearly neither of them were being completely serious. "But it would be worth it if you don't respect the secret hideout."

"You mean the future secret hideout."

The three were silent as they exchanged looks, smiles tickling their faces, before they all burst into laughter.

"And what's so funny?" Ulysses spoke from behind Iota.

She turned around to look up at him, stifling a giggle. "Nothing, Papa. Koschei just told me about the Memory Worms they had learned about recently."

Ulysses smiled widely. "I remember those." He eyed the table. "Have you finished? We have to go soon." The three jumped from the table. Theta grabbed a bit more food before he and Koschei made their way around the table to join Iota. Ulysses looked them over one last time. "Your mother is waiting at the door." He looked more at Iota and Theta. Then he looked to Koschei. "Have you said all your goodbyes?"

Koschei nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Ulysses smiled at him before stepping aside so that they could walk past him. It was a short walk to the door, where Theta and Iota's mother waited. She pulled each of her children into a hug, with a kiss on each of their heads before turning to Koschei with a smile. She squeezed his cheek before hugging him as well.

"I'm going to miss all of you." She smiled at each of them. "Make sure you come home. And send Braxiatel with any messages next year."

Theta nodded. "Don't worry, I know we will."

Ulysses ushered the children out of the building. They gave Penelope one last hug each before leaving. She stepped out of the building to wave them off.

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the bottom. The two students who had walked up partially with them weren't there, but Ulysses said that they tended to walk down on their own. All the other students were milling around at the bottom and Ulysses seemed to quickly count them before stepping to the front to lead them.

Tirin made his way through the crowd to join them. He smiled as he saw Iota. "How was your mother?"

Iota gave him a quick hug. "She's good. How were your parents?"

Tirin shrugged. "Pop wasn't home. Mum said he had contacted her that he had a lot of work that needed to be done and he wasn't able to get away to see me. But Mum was good."

"That's good. Sorry about your father."

"It's fine. He said next time he would be home no matter what."

Iota gave him another hug before pulling the conversation to the forest they had explored. Well, she had explored. It was one of her many ways to escape cleaning. But she could tell Tirin didn't want to talk about his father anymore. Though he seemed fine, she knew he missed his father.

Theta and Koschei kept to themselves during the walk. The two appeared to be discussing something but every time Iota and Tirin attempted to listen in, the two went even quieter. They seemed amused by Iota and Tirin's clear annoyance.

It wasn't that dark as the group of students arrived back at the Academy. Many other groups were arriving at the same time and the professors nodded in welcome to each other. Shuttles flew through the air to the small building to the side of the Academy before flying off once again to the storage facilities.

Iota, Theta, Koschei and Tirin's group melded with another that came from the shuttles as they reentered the Academy. All the students seemed to be mingling for a few minutes while the professors discussed something. The answer to which one was answered as Nella pushed her way to them.

"How was your time at home?" She asked them all with a wide smile. "My father was home!"

Iota gasped. "I'm so happy for you!" She jumped forwards and wrapped her friend in a hug.

Nella's face was red with excitement. "He said he wouldn't be able to be home when I was for a long time now, but I don't care." It was only the third time she'd seen her father in her entire life. Iota knew she would care later, but just then all she could clearly think about was the fact he had come home at all. Iota likely would have to deal with the sadness when Nella finally realized how long it would be until she saw him again.

The only thing Iota cared about then, however, was that Nella was happy.

"You ready to get back to classes?" The moment she said it Tirin seemed to go even paler, if it was possible. Theta and Koschei had disappeared back into the crowd to find their friends.

Nella didn't seem to notice Tirin. Her face only lit up even more. "I can't wait! And Ulysses is going to help me with languages, so it solves that problem." She blinked in realization. "Oh, I forgot. Sorry. Did you make it up with him?"

Iota nodded. "Thanks to Tirin, Theta and Koschei. Tirin told the two and then they forced me to. Otherwise they probably would have bugged me about it the entire time walking."

"Well, I'm glad." She squeezed Iota's hand. "It would be terrible if you kept being distant from him."

Iota glanced to Tirin. The boy was looking away from both of them. He was kicking the smooth tiled ground, though it did nothing. There was nothing to kick. She leaned to whisper to Nella. "His father wasn't home. He doesn't want to talk about it." Nella nodded and wrapped her arm around Tirin in a quick hug. Almost immediately she launched into a story about an animal she found hiding in her room when she went back home.

"The other students have already had their lunches, but you'll have yours now. Then you may return to the library to work on anything you need to or go to the field with the other students," a professor's voice echoed over the group, interrupting Nella's story. Everyone went silent as they listened. "You will be having dinner with everyone else, however."

Nella turned to look again at Iota and Tirin. "What do we want to do after lunch?" She thought for a moment. "I can't think of anything we have to do."

"Besides studying?" Iota pulled both their arms so that they would move towards the dining hall. "Nothing that I can think of."

When Iota glanced back as she let go of their arms, she couldn't help but notice Tirin looked a bit more excited now that he knew they hardly had any work to do. But she didn't blame him. She wasn't looking forwards to the prospect of getting back to work.

In contrast, Nella looked visibly devastated at the same thought. Iota smiled to herself before turned back around. She slowed so that she walked between them. If there was one thing she could promise about her friends it was that they would always feel the opposite about schoolwork.

-I-

As much as Tirin and Iota wanted to go to the fire pits after dinner, Nella made them go back to the library. The studying period before had been spent mostly flicking through the pages of their notes absentmindedly. Even Nella hadn't seemed up to studying at all.

Though that only meant she wouldn't let them get at all distracted the second time. At one point it appeared that Braxiatel was going to come over to see how they were doing, but he quickly hurried away when Iota waved her arms for him to leave. Nella glared at her for the distraction.

Both Tirin and Iota were glad when one of the professors who supervised the library arrived to tell them they had to leave. Nella, as they expected, wasn't so happy. Iota was forced to listen to her as they made their way back to their room. She had to poke Nella to make her stop just so that Nella could lead the way. Even though she had only been away for three days Iota had completely forgotten the right way to go.

Iota sat down on her bed. She hated the fact that it felt more natural than the one at her home. That one had felt cold and stiff. It was clear it hadn't been slept in for a long time. This one was soft. It was still cold, since it had been two nights, but it was still soft.

"I'll admit that I kinda liked having some time off from school." Nella fell back on her bed and sighed. "Don't you dare tell Tirin. He'd never let me live it down."

Iota smiled. "What makes you say that?"

"I don't know. I mean, I love all the work and the learning. But it was nice to get away from the Academy, if only for a few days." Nella pulled her blanket up from the foot of the bed. She wrapped it tightly around her.

Iota did the same. "I know how you feel. Let's just get some sleep. Even those professors that love you to pieces wouldn't forgive you if you feel asleep during a class. I wonder how much trouble that would get you in."

Instead of responding Nella threw a hairbrush towards Iota's face. She swatted it right back at her. "Hey!"

"You threw it at me first."

Nella shifted in her bed so that she was facing Iota. "You know that I will not fall asleep in class. I've never before and I won't now."

Iota giggled. "Do you really believe that?"

"Shut up." Nella rolled over to face the wall.

**A/N: Back at the Academy, sadly. But the rest of this year will pass much quicker then the rest, no worries. The next Visiting Days going home will come back much quicker :).**

**But yey, Nella's father came home :)! Only the third time in her entire life. But Tirin's father wasn't home. Iota's lucky in that sense; she can see one of her parents almost daily.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: I'm glad you're enjoying this :D_

_madmanwithascrewdriver: Thank you! Most of the information is stuff I created on my own, since not much is known in New Who about the Doctor's life before he started traveling in the TARDIS except that he and the Master were friends. I haven't seen any Classic Who either, which is one of the reasons I'm relying on the readers to correct anything I get wrong that may have been mentioned in the show. I'm glad you're loving it :D. Hopefully this chapter satisfies your want for more of the story._

_Guest: He is sweet, isn't he?_


	27. Part 1: Chapter Twenty-Seven

The half of the year that followed was a large contrast to the one before. Iota saw Ulysses constantly every day as he arrived to work with Nella on improving her language. As he made to walk away it seemed he always attempted to hold even a small conversation with Iota.

But losing the second study period meant that every moment of free period Nella was working to continue being as far ahead as she had been before. She had always, it appeared, been finished in time to help Iota and Tirin if they needed to and still manage to go to sleep with no worry. For the rest of the year she seemed more frazzled then both Tirin and Iota had ever seen her before.

When the exams loomed closer they were frightened to even speak to her. One distraction could have her shouting at them for an entire study period, which would only make her angrier at them later. Ulysses walking towards them was the only thing that would make her smile. Tirin and Iota would take the chance to have any conversation that Nella would have glared at them for; namely, all of them.

The exams were stranger the second year then the first. The first year had a sense of majesty and interest, where Iota didn't know what to expect. The warmth and coldness had come and tortured her as she forced her way through it. But the second year it didn't come at all.

There was nothing that pulled knowledge from her mind and helped her place it on the paper. Iota was so glad when she left the exam hall after nothing came. It still terrified her when the warmth and coldness arrived in a class. It would bombard her as she wrote a note and she would be forced to clutch the edge of the table with her eyes pressed tightly closed. Tirin would reach over and rest his hand on her arm to make certain she was alright.

It would take her a few moments in order to respond.

None of anyone Iota knew failed their exams. Theta, as he had done the year before, was so close. She watched as he listened to the number announced. His back was tall and his hair had clearly not been combed for a few days. But his jaw was clenched and when Iota looked closer she could see that his eyes flickered nervously. When it was announced he relaxed with a smile.

Nella was the same. She very visibly relaxed as she heard the fact she nearly got a perfect score. Tirin didn't change at all as he heard. He only gave a small nod and hurried off the platform.

Iota had started to shake as she walked up. There was still a group of students waiting behind her and she could feel all of their eyes burning into her back. They all looked as terrified as she had been the year before. And still, the Hunter, Percy and Ulysses watched her carefully.

"Iota Xi, Second Year Novice. You scored an average of seventy eight on the exam. Congratulations. You are now a Third Year Novice."

Breath rushed out of her as she heard. It wasn't as much as she wanted or hoped for, but it was a pass. She didn't have to worry for then.

As Iota made her way to the door to the side she glanced to the Hunter, Percy and Ulysses. The Hunter seemed to be happy at her score. His eyes were on her and there was a sense of pride. Percy was indifferent and was looking at the next student as they made their way to the platform.

Ulysses was still watching her. There was a flicker of pride, but not as much as the Hunter had as he looked at her. It was hidden by surprise at the score she had gotten. Iota knew he wouldn't be impressed. With Braxiatel's nearly perfect score it had to be difficult to see his only two other children so far behind. He was still a professor at heart.

-I-

As they approached the estate the next Visiting Days, Theta and Iota's mother stood waiting for them with a smile. Iota pushed passed the two boys, who were walking in front of her, and ran to her mother for a hug.

"I've missed you Mamma," she mumbled against the fabric of her mother's robe.

Her mother kissed her head. Iota had had a growth spurt some point in the year before and now reached her mother's chin, though that wasn't saying much. She still seemed to be a few feet smaller than both Theta and Koschei.

"I've missed you too." Her mother smiled as she moved to hug both Theta and Koschei before giving Ulysses a kiss. All the children squirmed at that. The parents laughed before turning to address them all. "I've arranged for us to have a tour around the TARDIS farms where my family works. We'll be staying there tonight." She spoke at first namely to Theta and Iota, but then she turned to look at Koschei. "You're free to come if you want to."

Koschei didn't need any time to consider his answer. "Yes, of course I would like to come. Thank you!"

Her mother smiled even larger and gestured to the shuttle they had seen as they walked up. One of their cousins who they vaguely recognized was hanging from the door and he waved to them in welcome. Theta reached out to grasp both Koschei and Iota's hands and pulled them to the shuttle together.

The cousin helped each of them into the shuttle in turn. Her mother was coming along with them, but Ulysses was clearly staying. He waved them goodbye as the cousin shut the door and turned to address them.

He turned to her mother first. "Hello Penelope. The Explorer is very excited to see you again." Iota could remember that the Explorer was one of her uncles. Then he turned to the children, Theta first. "Hello Theta Sigma. We met last time, but my name is the Thorn." He looked to Iota. "And you must be Iota Xi. You were so different last time. Clearly, you've grown into a lovely young lady." He rubbed her head before turning to Koschei. "Are you Koschei? You came last time, didn't you?"

"Yes Sir."

The Thorn smiled kindly. "Nice of you to come back." He moved to the front of the shuttle. Her mother pointed to the seats that lined the shuttle. Iota ended up sitting next to Theta, with Koschei on his other side. Her mother went to sit in the front with the Thorn.

If Iota could remember correctly, though the Thorn was Iota's cousin he was only a year younger than her mother. It was what came from her grandparents having two children early in their lives and then having one last one years later. Her mother had spoken of the Thorn occasionally before Iota went to the Academy. They had been close friends when growing up.

There was a window that stretched across from the three children. They glanced to where the Time Lords sat before climbing out of their seats and leaning against the glass to look out the window. The ground of Gallifrey raced beneath them but occasionally they spotted other estates.

The Thorn glanced back at them with a smile. "Get back into your seats." The children grumbled but did as he said. With a jolt they landed and the Time Lords slid the door open. As they climbed out of the shuttle and looked around the warmly lit area, Iota could vaguely remember the time before. More of the family had been there then, for it was the first time they had met Theta and Iota. But this time it was only the Thorn.

"Everyone is at work currently, I'm sorry." He smiled. "I was only able to get a break in order to collect you." The Thorn turned to Iota's mother. "But I am certain Penelope remembers enough about the farms to bring you on a suitable tour."

Her mother nodded in agreement. "I only have one question. Do you still have a small collection of adult TARDISes that are safe for piloting?"

"Of course. I believe it is at the same place as last time." With a bow, the Thorn turned to leave. "I'm so sorry, but I must return to the newly born TARDISes."

The children bowed in goodbye to him and watched as he vanished down one of the clearly winding halls that stretched throughout the TARDIS farms. Her mother looked down that hall for a moment before gesturing for the children to follow her. "I'm going to bring you to a TARDIS," she leaned down to whisper. "Don't tell anyone, but I'm going to give you a small lesson on how to fly it."

Koschei shoved Theta in the arm. "Pay close attention. I don't want you to fail every time you try to take the test."

"I told you, I won't fail every time!" Theta shoved him back. Iota's mother only laughed.

"You most certainly will," Iota teased Theta, gaining her own shove in the arm. "I know it for certain."

"Even your little sister agrees with me Theta!" Koschei laughed and wrapped his arm around Iota's shoulder. "That's how you know I'm right."

"Or the both of you are suffering from the same destructive fantasy. And you're both caught in la-la land."

Iota's mother glanced back at them with one finger on her lip. "Try and be a bit quieter. People are working and I don't want to disturb them."

It was almost immediate that the children went quiet. They looked around them carefully as Iota's mother lead the way through the winding halls that seemed to have no end. She knew exactly which corner to turn and nodded in welcome to each of the people they passed. The people, though they were mostly Theta and Iota's extended family, only gave the children passing looks. They were clearly all busy. Some held bunches of what looked like coral.

Every time they passed someone holding a bunch of coral Iota was forced to close her eyes as a childlike song entered her head. The songs burst with life and curiosity. Iota smiled as she heard each of them. They were all different but they all resonated in the back of her mind. She was forced to concentrate in order to begin to hear them.

After trying to hear a few of them louder pinpricks of pain fired in her head. It was like someone had entered her brain and begun to poke it with something sharp. She rubbed her head as she walked.

They approached a large hall that stretched high in multiple directions. Small grey cylinders lined the hall and a few Time Lords mingled through the collection. They all had a pile of papers and seemed to be making marks about the TARDISes they entered and exited.

Her mother ran her hand along the TARDISes beside them, her eyes closed. She smiled and they stopped in front of one near the back wall. "This one." She smiled at the children and rested her hand against the lock.

"Don't you need a key?" Koschei asked her, squinting. Theta could only stare in amazement at the TARDISes that surrounded them. Another Time Lord was inspecting the TARDIS behind them and she glanced back in amusement at the children.

Her mother only smiled larger. "Even though the TARDISes never bonded with me, they know who I am. My family has never needed a key to open a TARDIS." She laughed slightly. "Though they always did like to make a game of locking me out."

There was a click and the door slid open. Her mother practically bounded in with clear excitement. Koschei glanced at Theta and Iota before stepping back to let her enter first.

Iota was shaking as she took a step forwards, immediately blinded by the white light that seemed to come from all directions.

**A/N: So sorry I forgot to post a chapter yesterday! I don't know where my mind was going, but it never even occurred to me. So sorry!**

**But the children are at the TARDIS farms, which is exciting. Especially considering the possibly bond Iota may have with TARDISes.**

**Also, a bit more on Penelope's family here. She has quite a large one, one of the largest on Gallifrey.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Guest: There hasn't been much mention of Nella's dad. He is just extremely busy with work, meaning he almost never comes home. She treasures every time he does. Tirin's father is fine as well, just busy with work. He'll be home next time :)_

_I'msorrymylove: I haven't planned on doing anything about them, but it's possible I may add a mention of them in the future._

_DW (Guest): I can so see him doing that :). I'm glad you're enjoying the chapters. TARDIS farms have arrived, and I hope you enjoy what happens in the next chapter :). The future years will definitely move faster. I'm glad you're excited for the future of the story. Thank you!_

_Teddy bear 007: I hope it would :)_


	28. Part 1: Chapter Twenty-Eight

Iota squinted her eyes and raised her hand to block her eyes from the burning white light. She stepped back in shock as she attempted to see once more.

There was a faint laugh from where she remembered her mother standing as the lights began to fade to a paler shade of the same white. "Sorry about that. For some reason the TARDIS cranked up the light as soon as you entered." Something clicked. "Almost as though it was reacting to you in particular," she whispered the last sentence, but somehow Iota was still able to hear her.

It took a few seconds more but her vision faded into something she was able to see through. The interior of the TARDIS was white and stretched widely out in a circle. The ceiling appeared to be doomed. There were grey pillars supporting the ceiling that reached up from the ground far below. Underneath the platform that held center console there was a collection of wires that hung in a knotted ball. A ramp stretched from the place Iota stood to where her mother stood by the console.

Her mother waved for her to come closer. "Come here, Iota. Come look."

Iota ran her hand along the metal railing as she walked. The space beneath her stretched down far below. It was almost like they were in a sphere with circular lights decorating the walls.

Theta came up behind her, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Everything alright?"

"I'm fine." She shouldered the hand off. She reached one hand out even though she was still far from the console. It was almost like time sped up because she reached the console in what felt like a second later.

Iota looked down at the hand she had stretched out to see it shaking. Without a second thought she let her hand rest on the cold metal and closed her eyes as she breathed in. Her chest immediately burst with warmth that seemed to fill her completely. Even with her eyes closed her sight filled with gold that swarmed through the darkness. Every small sound seemed to echo in her ears. She could hear Koschei's breathing, even though he still stood by the door. Singing echoed in the air once again. It was stronger than what had been in the TARDIS cradle.

There was another hand on her shoulder and she jumped. It was Theta. She knew even with her eyes closed. "Iota, are you alright?"

She forced her eyes open with a gasp. "Yes, I'm fine. Completely fine."

Her eyes jumped around the room violently. Every small detail leapt out at her. The way the lights were attached to the walls. The way her mother's hand rested on a lever absentmindedly as she watched Iota carefully. The way a spot in Theta's neck jumped when he was nervous or worried.

"Can you feel anything that's wrong with the TARDIS?" Her mother asked her carefully. In the corner of her eye Iota could see Koschei making his way slowly up the ramp towards her.

Iota's smile grew. "There's nothing. I don't feel anything." She breathed in deeply. "Everything is fine."

"What do you mean?" Theta asked her. He took his hand off her shoulder.

A burst of pain fired in her head. With a scream she fell from the console clutching her head tightly. The pain burned until it filled her vision with red. It felt like something had grabbed onto either side of her brain and was pulling it open with everything it could.

Something cold pushed its way through her body. It scratched as it went, like it was digging its nails into her insides. It burned and she screamed again. Darkness overwhelmed the red like the rush of a wave. It crashed onto her and she felt nothing.

-I-

A cold hand rested on her cheek as Iota blinked to see the white lights again. She could feel herself shivering violently.

"Iota?" Her mother's desperate voice echoed in her ears. "Iota can you hear me?"

Iota coughed. It shot out of her chest and she clutched the surface below her. Her breath was raspy as she breathed in. It felt like something was scratching down her throat. "Yes."

Her mother's face swam before her eyes. It blurred into focus. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know." Iota breathed in again. There was a dull ache filling her head. The only thing she could focus on was breathing. Speaking was hard; focusing on anything was even harder. "Where am I?"

"When you fell to the ground screaming I yelled for someone to help. My family helped carry you to the medical ward here. It's shielded from mental bonds; I thought it might be the only safe place for you." Her mother gently pushed some of her hair away from her face.

"Where are Theta and Koschei?" She couldn't hear anything other than her mother. It was strange. Only then did she realize that there was constantly a buzz in the very back of her mind. It must be the other Time Lords. Even though she hadn't had time to form mental bonds with anyone, she was still connected to other Time Lords. To have nothing there was surprising.

Her mother smiled as much as it seemed she could. "They were in shock when you fell. My parents are looking after them."

The ache had started to fade away. It became easier to focus on what she said or what happened. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I told you how you were likely bonded with TARDISes but it must be something more. There's no way a simple bond would have affected you like that." Her mother rested her hand on her check once again. "And you're burning up." She frowned. "I don't know how much but I know it's not healthy at all."

Iota closed her eyes again. "Am I going to be all right?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know. Healers are going to be coming soon to check on you. You're going to have to tell them what happened, all right? They're going to help you."

A door clicked open and her mother turned her head to look. Iota tried to do the same but her head began to pound and she clutched the bed below her. She clenched her jaw tightly.

A woman appeared in her vision. She had an empty face and she searched Iota's for something. "Hello Iota Xi. How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts." Iota forced the words out. Again, her head began to pound and it became hard to focus on anything but breathing.

The healer made a note of something on a paper in her hands. "Can you tell me what happened before you blacked out? Everything you can remember from your point of view."

Iota pressed her eyes closed as she thought. "I touched the console. It was fine for a bit and then pain exploded in my head. I remember screaming and falling to the ground clutching my head because of how much it hurt. Everything I saw was red and it felt like something was pulling my head apart. Then something cold rushed through me and it felt like it was digging into me as I went. And then everything burned and darkness covered me."

The healer only made another note. "Is that everything?"

"Yes."

"What happened before the pain?"

The memory of that was better than the memory of the pain. "Everything I felt and saw was stronger and clearer." Another rush of pain pounded through her. It cracked through her brain and felt like it ripped everything it passed into pieces. Her vision burned a bright red and she screamed.

-I-

The next time Iota forced herself out of the darkness she was alone. The white light still burned around her, but it was different than before. There was a faint pounding in the back of her head. It wasn't strong, but it lingered there.

Iota cringed as she tried to push herself sitting. It hurt but she was able to. She looked down to her arms. There were wires stretching off her fingers and her wrists. Some of the tubes sticking out of her arms streamed a clear liquid into her while others carried the deep red with an orange tinge she knew immediately as blood.

There was a white blanket wrapping around her lower half and she was dressed in something that felt like a pale blue dress. She turned her head to see a machine next to her monitoring her heart rate while another seemed to be monitoring her brain waves. She traced that wire to her head and raised the hand with the least wires to feel a metal circle wrapping around her head.

"Are you awake, Iota Xi?" She turned to see the woman from before standing in the doorway. She had pure white robes and held a collection of paper in her hands.

"Yes," she managed. Speaking was easier than the last time she remembered. "Where am I?"

"The same place you were before." The woman stepped closer. "You passed out again so we began to monitor your brain and hearts to see if there was anything drastically wrong with them. Both were lowering as we began to see them. But they had been high; unhealthily high. You're fine now, but you're going to have to stay here for the rest of the Visiting Days so that we can make sure you're okay."

Iota frowned in confusion. "But I'll be allowed to go back to the Academy?"

"Only if you feel ready. Something happened and we don't want to force you if you don't want to." The woman walked closer and looked at the machines. She made a mark on the paper. "I'm Giara."

A faint bit of warmth danced in her chest. In the corner of her eye she saw a spike in her brain waves. "That means healer and caregiver in Eddan."

"Correct." Giara made another note on the paper, eyeing the screen.

"Do you know what's wrong with me?" Iota watching Giara carefully as she pressed a few buttons on the monitor. "Can you tell?"

Giara sighed. "I can't, I'm sorry. Honestly, there's nothing obviously wrong with you. There are spikes of energy in your brain but they aren't constant. Your temperature, though it had been high, lowered just like your heart beat. Neither were up long enough to permanently damage you. It's almost like it vanished." She pressed another button. "Something caused it though. Something triggered it both times." She frowned. "But now you're fine. I can't find anything wrong with you."

"Completely fine?"

"Everything. You're completely normal right now." Giara turned to smile at her. "Even among Time Lords, that's strange. Especially one who's as young as you."

Iota fingered the blanket. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know Time Lords tend to heal fast. The older they get the quicker it tends to happen because of the regeneration energy that builds up inside them. But you're too young to have enough regeneration energy to heal anywhere close to this fast. I have no idea what's happening with you. But it seems to come in flashes." Giara came over to Iota and rested her hand on Iota's head. The skin felt cold. "Very painful flashes. I'm sorry."

Iota found herself wanting to laugh. "I just want to stop whatever's happening to me. Can you do that?"

"Not until I know exactly what's wrong. Which I don't, not yet." Giara moved away from her. "Your mother, brother and his friend are waiting to talk to you. Do you feel ready enough to see them?"

Iota nodded and Giara moved to the door. She vanished down the hall. A few seconds later Theta, Koschei and Iota's mother rushed in. The boys moved like they wanted to hug her but her mother held an arm back to stop them. "I'm so glad to see you awake again." Her mother smiled as she kneeled beside Iota, taking one of her hands. The two boys looked around her shoulders but said nothing. "Giara said you're fine. Is that right?"

"I feel fine. It's like there was nothing wrong with me. Nothing ever." Iota looked to Theta. His jaw was clenched and he was shaking. "I'm fine, Theta. I promise."

"Don't you dare do that again." Theta gave a shaky laugh. "That scared me."

Iota turned to Koschei. He looked much calmer than Theta. If anything, he looked awkward. It was clear he didn't feel like he belonged with them there. "Are you alright? You look worse than I feel." It was true. Even though he was calmer, he was a deathly pale.

"I'm fine. I'm just glad you are too." Koschei reached over her mother's shoulder and rested his hand gently on her arm.

There was a flare of warmth in her chest and Iota faintly heard the mind wave monitor beep. But it almost felt like that warmth cared for her. Like it was telling her that it was glad she was alright. Like it didn't mean to hurt her and it was an accident it ever had.

Iota didn't believe it.

**A/N: What's wrong with Iota? What happened to her? Why did it happen now? So many questions, so long until they're answered :).**

**And I have to say I am so thankful; you guys have given me 100 reviews! Thank you so much! I never expected to get nearly that many on this story! I've decided that, to thank you for giving me this amazing gift (I don't have enough words to describe my thanks), I will answer one question of the future or request from the reviews. It can be about anything, so please ask something you want answered, even if it's just an extra scene of fluff between any of the characters.**

**Thank you again!**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: Just wait until you meet her close family on her father's side :)_

_I'msorrymylove: Sadly, he didn't actually get a lesson. That may explain a few things. I'm glad you liked the explanation._

_IknowyouD (Guest): Thank you! I hope you like this chapter._

_DW (Guest): Hopefully you didn't die from suspense! Thank you, it did go by fast. The years will be going my in varying lengths, depending on the events throughout the year. Most years won't be mentioned. I'm not going to say anything to agree or not :). As River would say, "Spoilers."_

_Someone (Guest): Thank you! I had been considering it at the beginning but decided against it. However, your review made me look at it again and the perfect idea of where a game could be arrived. So yes, in the future there will be an 8th man bound._

_Henny14: Thank you!_


	29. Part 1: Chapter Twenty-Nine

Somewhere Iota's mother, Theta and Koschei found chairs and pulled them up around her bed. Occasionally Giara would come to check on a machine, but mostly they were alone.

"What day is it?" Iota asked after they had sat in silence for a few minutes in a row. Her mother was rubbing her hand over Iota's head, pushing away spare hair that had drifted out from under the metal circle wrapped around her head, while Theta clutched her hand. Koschei only looked awkwardly on.

"The same day. You weren't gone for that long." Her mother smiled. "We still have one night here."

Koschei frowned from his position. "Are you sure you're alright?" Both Theta and her mother had stopped asking that question, but Koschei seemed unbelieving. Every few minutes he would ask.

"I'm completely certain." Iota reached out the hand that Theta wasn't clutching to squeeze Koschei's. It was the one that wires streamed from, but she was able to move it slowly without any pain or worry. "You can stop asking."

"I am not going to stop." He was blushing. "I want to make sure you're okay."

"Why don't I tell you when I'm not instead of you continuing to ask?"

Her mother and Theta laughed. "I swear, Koschei, you seem more like her older brother then I do!" Theta teased him, poking Koschei in the chest. "Do you want to switch?"

"How could we switch? I don't have any younger siblings. Or any siblings at all." Koschei furrowed his brow as he concentrated.

"I meant you become her older brother and I become her friend who lives next door." Theta poked him again in amusement. Her mother looked on with a smile, but she didn't say anything.

Koschei laughed. "That sounds stupid. I like being the next door friend." He leaned down and gave Iota a hug the best he could. It was awkward and made both of them laugh. "It makes me special."

"As if being her older brother isn't special." Theta pulled his hand from Iota's and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, it's not. I have two of those. But I only have one next door neighbor." Iota giggled at Theta's clear disappointment.

Her mother held out a hand to stop the three children. "Stop arguing. I don't want to strain Iota."

Iota's mind was tired, it was true. For some reason, being awake this long hurt her. It made her body ache and she only wanted to sleep. She wanted to sleep forever. It wasn't that it hurt. Nothing about her hurt. And when she looked to the side she could see that nothing was wrong with her brain waves. But she wanted to sleep in silence.

She was saved from saying anything when Giara appeared in the room once more. "It's late. I think Iota should get some sleep before tomorrow. I want to make certain she's as safe as she can be when she returns to the Academy."

The three that sat around her stood with sad faces and words of returning the very next day. Her mother laid a final kiss on her forehead. Theta squeezed her hand one last time and told her that he was ten times better than any next door neighbor. Koschei waved and told her he would be happy to become her older brother.

Giara closed the door behind them with a smile. She turned back to Iota. "Now, I was being honest when I said I want you to sleep. You have to rest. Nothing has happened since the incidents, but," Giara eyed her carefully, "I can tell something's wrong with you that isn't readily visible through your mind and hearts. What is it?"

"I'm tired. And everything aches. It doesn't hurt; just aches. And all I want to do is sleep until there's no time left anywhere in the entire universe." Iota reached up and rubbed her eyes. She felt herself slide further down the pillow until she was lying flat. Two cold fingers rested on either side of her head.

"I'm going to help you go to sleep quicker than you normally would. The only way you're going to wake up is if I do it, but don't worry. I'll be staying here tonight to monitor you." Darkness began to fill her mind. It was stuffy and seemed to fill all the cracks and empty spaces. "Just stay still. Everything is going to be fine."

A slow hum began to fill the darkness. In the back of her mind she knew that it was from the machines next to her. But it was comforting. The noise felt like a lullaby. Iota felt her mind drifting back to when she was younger; when her father's arms had felt like the world and her mother's stories were actually happening to her. The year before the Academy she had forced herself to stop thinking like that. It wouldn't do for someone her age to think like that; especially when she would have to spend so long away at the Academy.

But Iota missed thinking like that. She missed the time when she didn't have to worry about scores on exams or going mad. There were still close to 400 years left at the Academy and it already felt like she had been there for 200. It was tiring to try and think of everything all the time. All Iota wanted was the sleep.

And she did. Her mind drifted off into a world of darkness, sent there by the humming and the cold fingers on either side of her head.

-I-

The cold fingers were back as the humming began to fade and the darkness began to disappear. Iota blinked and let the white light replace the dark. Giara was smiling down at her. "Welcome back."

"That was so unusual." Giara pulled back as Iota pushed herself sitting. Darkness still covered the borders of her vision but it continued to fade as she blinked. "I don't know what to say."

Giara smiled to herself as she checked the machines. "That tends to be how people react to their first time at Mental Sleep."

"Mental Sleep?"

Giara pressed a few buttons and wrote something on her paper. "That's what I did. It is a slightly forced version of natural and there are no dreams." She glanced at Iota. "But it's nice to do every once and a while. I find that some of my best ideas come after Mental Sleep."

Iota felt the urge to giggle. Her head had begun to itch and she raised her hands to feel the metal circle. "Can I take this off now?"

"I think so." Giara carefully pulled the circle from Iota's head. The machine monitoring brain waves went silent as she put the circle on top. "You're perfectly healthy." She began to take the wires and tubes out of Iota's arm and off of her fingers. "You'll be able to go home with your mother, brother and friend."

"Where are they?"

"Your mother insisted that they go tour another TARDIS while they waited for you to awake. Your brother wanted to wait for you but I advised them to go anyways." Giara glanced at her. "Is that fine?"

Iota nodded. "Thank you for that. I don't think I'd be able to be in another right now."

Giara paused in her work. "You only have to answer this with a yes or no. Don't think too hard about it." She slowly turned to look at Iota. "Do you think it was something about the TARDIS that made the first instance happen?"

"Yes." As quickly as she responded, Iota forced the thoughts away. There was a small prick of pain that faded as quickly as her thoughts.

"Thank you." Giara worked quickly before making her way to the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes with robes for you to change into. If you would like, I'll find someone to get your mother, brother and friend so that they can come talk to you."

Iota smiled. "Thank you, Giara. I've never actually met a healer before."

"Just be glad I was your first one." Without another word Giara vanished out of the doorway. Iota was left alone in the empty room, for Giara had taken all the machines with her as she left. The places where the wires and tubes had stuck into Iota hurt but it wasn't bad enough to not allow her to think of anything else.

Iota found it was easy to think about the TARDISes and what the warmth and coldness meant. When she wasn't considering telling anyone it was fine. It was almost as though something inside her was alive. Like it had attached itself to her brain and knew everything she was thinking. And for some reason it had decided that she couldn't tell anyone else about it.

There was a small whisper that echoed in the room. Iota closed her eyes to focus. It was a woman. "You're not ready yet." The voice was almost singing. It bounced inside her head before it nestled back where she had always felt the pain begin. Iota wanted to ask Giara if there was any way she could check to see what was at that spot inside her head. But even considering that caused a dull ache to fill her head.

Instead of Giara returning, the footsteps that pulled Iota from her thoughts were from her mother. In her arms her mother held a lavender robe. "Hello Iota."

"Hey Mamma." Iota took the robes into her hands and quickly switched the pale blue dress for the lavender robes. "How are Theta and Koschei?"

"They're fine. They discovered some of your younger cousins and decided to play with them."

Iota giggled at the thought of seeing Koschei and Theta, looking as they did, playing with small children. She could imagine Theta eagerly entertaining the youngest with games he still found entertaining himself. And Koschei was likely watching and only joining in when Theta made him. "Can I join them?"

Her mother raised an eyebrow. "Giara said you should act normally. But only if you feel ready."

"I do." Iota bounced on her feet. "Where are they?"

Her mother held out an arm for Iota to take and she did so with a smile. The Mental Sleep had given her much more energy than she was prepared for. But it was nice after what had happened the day before. It almost felt like the day had never happened.

As they walked, Iota realized that her mother was taking care to pass by as few TARDISes as possible. The people they walked past who held pieces of what looked like coral stepped aside to let them pass, hiding the coral under their robes.

Giggling was what informed Iota that they were nearing Theta and Koschei. Her mother and she turned a corner to see Theta being attacked by small children in pants and long shirts. Koschei had his own children attacking him. As soon as his realized she was there, they vanished. Theta spotted Iota and sat up. The children hung off of him and turned to look at her as well.

"Iota! You're awake!"

"And you are being attacked by small children." Iota pressed a hand to her mouth as she laughed. "But you couldn't be happier, of course."

Theta looked down at the children. "Motro, Saeia and Preia, this is your cousin Iota."

The three children waved to her as one. "Hey Iota." They spoke as one. Iota studied the children carefully. They looked almost identical. They all had the same small blue eyes, the same shortly cut black hair and the same olive skin. Their faces even looked identical.

"Are you triplets?" It was rare for there to be triplets born of Time Lords. Twins were rare enough, but triplets were almost impossible. It happened every few centuries and the children were revered. They were treasured by everyone while their parents guarded them to make sure no one hurt them. Everyone knew their names. The Lord President would come to their Initiations.

"Yep." Again, the children spoke together.

Her mother leaned down to whisper. "TARDIS farm families tend to be larger than others. It's more likely for twins and triplets to be born among us. No one can explain it, but the twins and triplets always have a stronger connection to TARDISes from birth."

Iota nodded and looked down at the children again. It un-nerved her how similar they were. When one blinked, another did as well. Time Lords took pride in their individuality and special gifts they were bestowed with. Triplets and twins tended to be copies of one. But with Time Lord's luck, they tended to be copies of good.

But no matter how similar twins or triplets were, each one always reacted differently in front of the Untempered Schism.

**A/N: The visit at the TARDIS farms is almost over now. It was much more exciting then any of them could have expected. They're likely happy to get back to the estate.**

**In order to thank you for helping me reach over 100 reviews, I've written a oneshot based on the idea from doyouknowme; "A LITTLE PICNIC SCENE BETWEEN KOSCHEI AND IOTA". I've posted it on the tumblr (there is a link to it on my profile) I created today for my fanfictions. But I'll also post it right here for you to read.**

-I-

A five year old Iota Xi spun through the red grass of Koschei's estate, her curled blonde hair spilling out behind her. Her mother had forced it into a bun that morning, but that had done nothing to stop it from flowing free. She giggled as she fell to the ground for no reason in particular. Theta and Koschei were being scolded for breaking something. She had told her mother about it, but she didn't think they knew it was her.

"Iota?" She peered through the grass to see Koschei making his way towards her, lugging a basket and a blanket with him. It seemed like it was difficult. "Where are you?"

She jumped up. "Right here!"

The boy looked around the items he lugged as he walked. He didn't say anything, though it looked like he was looking for conformation. When he reached her, he let the things drop with a thud and a sigh. "Finally. That was heavy."

Iota crouched down so that she was better able to see what he was carrying. The blanket had fallen so that it was covering the basket, so she shoved it off. Inside the basket there was a collection of food. Iota recognized a sandwich that Koschei's mother was famous for. "Why did you bring this out here? And where is Theta?" It was rare the two of them were separate, except for nights when they separated. Sometimes, when Koschei stayed over, they were always together.

"As punishment, your mother has instructed me to have a picnic with you." Koschei plopped down to the ground. He was tall enough that he didn't disappear inside the grass.

Iota sat down as well. "And what about Theta?"

"He has to clean."

Iota giggled. "I like your punishment better."

Koschei laughed. "I agree." He spread the blanket out and jumped on top before patting a section for Iota to sit on. "Not much of a punishment."

The meal was filled with the two children throwing food into each other's mouths and failing at catching it equally. Every single time they missed both burst out laughing, clutching their sides as they laughed. When all the food had been expended, they shifted to playing a game of tag.

"I feel bad for Theta." Iota laughed, ducking under Koschei's outstretched hand. "He has to clean."

"Well, he deserved it." Koschei nearly managed to catch her. "It was his fault."

Iota paused and turned to look at Koschei. "Then what did you do?"

It allowed Koschei to catch her. He spun her around in the air before letting her bounce down. "I may have bumped him, causing him to stumble and pull down a tapestry as he went." He shrugged. "Nothing too severe."

"So it was your fault?"

He shrugged again. "We may not have told your mother that."

"Why not?"

"Theta owed me."

Iota laughed. She tagged him before dashing off, laughing once again. It didn't matter to her what had happened with Theta and Koschei. All she cared about was the fact that she had been able to spend such a long time uninterrupted with Koschei.

It usually never happened. Iota loved it when it did.

-I-

**Notes on reviews:**

_doyouknowme(Guest): I was able to guess who you are :D I hope you liked the oneshot based off of your suggestion._

_DW (Guest): I'm glad you're liking this story so much; it's still amazing to me when I see that people are enjoying this as much as they seem to be. Thank you! They won't figure it out for a long time, but they will know in the future. And I have to say, they will be shocked when they find out. I love to hear the opinions of the readers; it helps me make this story the best that it can be :D_

_I'msorrymylove: I'm sorry there are so many questions!_


	30. Part 1: Chapter Thirty

The journey back on the shuttle was nothing like the original one. Neither Theta nor Koschei moved to look out the window and they both held their arms out to keep Iota still. They remained silent the entire time, but they exchanged looks over her head. Iota leaned back and crossed her arms in annoyance. She knew they were only trying to keep her safe since neither of them had accepted that she felt much better that morning. It was touching, but still annoying. Iota wanted the ability to make choices for herself about what she did.

Iota's mother and the Thorn spoke quietly at the front of the shuttle. Iota listened carefully, but she was unable to hear anything. From what she could understand they only said the occasional word. They must have formed a mental bond when they were younger. But spending so long away from each other must have weakened it, which would explain why they had to make the occasional comment out loud.

As soon as the shuttle landed on the ground the door slid open with a slam. Ulysses stood waiting with his hands crossed behind him. His eyes searched the shuttle for his daughter. "Iota," he breathed. He scanned her up and down as she stood and made her way over to him. The moment she was out of the shuttle he pulled her tightly into his arms. "I'm so glad you're okay." He kissed the top of her head.

Iota knew better than to giggle, though she wanted to at that moment. Ulysses looked down at her and stroked her head gently. "Hi Papa."

"I want you to be extra careful at the Academy," his voice had regained the stern quality it possessed the entire time they were at the Academy. "I want you to come to me if anything hurts. Ever. I want to protect you."

"That's Theta, Braxiatel and Koschei's job," Iota teased him, poking him in the stomach.

"Well, you need four people to protect you," Ulysses teased and poked her right back.

"And why's that?"

Ulysses grinned. "Because you keep getting into trouble. It's not our fault; that's all you." He squeezed her shoulders before turning to look at Koschei, who had climbed out of the shuttle along with Theta. "Your father is waiting for you at your estate. He trusts that you can get home on your own."

Koschei looked excited at the prospect. He rushed to give Iota a hug before running off in the direction of his family estate. Iota could swear he was running faster than he normally did. He must have wanted to impress his parents.

The Thorn leaned out the window of the shuttle. Her mother had moved to stand next to Theta. "I hope to see you again soon." He smiled at them. "Though hopefully without the events of this time." He looked towards Iota as he said that. She felt herself blush and he turned back to look at her mother. "Come and visit sometime soon, Penelope. The family was glad to see you again."

"I'll come visit." Her mother turned to Ulysses. "And hopefully Ulysses will come as well."

"If it corresponds with a time I'm home, I most certainly will. Perhaps Braxiatel can come as well."

The Thorn smiled as he remembered something. "I remember Braxiatel. How is he?"

"He's good. Doing well at the Academy." Ulysses began to talk eagerly about his eldest son. Her mother took one look at him before turning to Iota and Theta.

"Go while you can. Otherwise he's going to rope you into the conversation as well." Her mother gestured for them to run. Theta grabbed Iota's hand and pulled her carefully after him. It wasn't as much as he normally did, but it was harder than Koschei would have. He had believed her more than the others when she said she was fine.

"To the secret hideout?" Theta whispered to her as they ran. The boys still hadn't found a place at the Academy, but they told Iota they were looking every chance they had. Though they didn't have many chances. Professors continued to give the 'Deca', as Theta and Koschei's friends had termed themselves, extra work. A few of them asked for it, but the others were brought along for the ride. Theta was one of the ones dragged along. Koschei seemed to enjoy it.

Iota smiled. "I wonder how dirty it is now. What if it's like last time?"

"We don't have enough time to clean it out if it is."

"You mean _you_ don't have enough time. You were the one cleaning the most last time." Iota poked him the best she could from the way they were running.

"Maybe if you help this time it'll go faster." Theta glanced back at her with a smile.

Iota giggled. "As if. You know I can't clean to save my life." It was true. Nella had taken charge of cleaning their room every other night. She said it was distracting for it to be so messy. Iota didn't find it that bad; she didn't like having a room perfectly clean. It made it feel unlived in. But Nella always won in the argument. Her main threat was that she would make Iota clean. Though Iota was perfectly happy making the mess that Nella complained about, she hated to clean it. One reason was that she tended to stop halfway through or just vaguely throw the objects off the floor, most likely onto Nella's bed.

The forest was just how the two remembered it. The silver trees sung and swayed in the wind. Somehow, Iota remembered the way back to the cave. Theta kept asking her if she was sure but she continued to shush him. The cave looked how it had when they left. The outside was clean and what they could see in the inside was nearly spotless.

Iota sat down inside. The ground was almost perfectly clean. Theta hadn't grown much in the two years, but it was enough that he had to stoop so that his head didn't hit the ceiling. Iota was lucky enough to still be too short to even consider touching the top with her hands. Theta sat across from her and the both of them leaned against their respective walls.

"Are you sure you're alright? I know you hate when we keep asking, but I have to know for certain. I won't ask again."

Iota sighed. She knew Theta was worried for her. She was his sister. "I'm fine. I feel, honestly, even better than before. Like I have more energy." She smiled. "I think that was the Mental Sleep though. I should try and do that more often."

"You'll have to find someone able to do it first," Theta commented. His Year had learned about Mental Sleep just before the Visiting Day's that year. When they got back they were going to be taught how to perform Mental Sleep themselves. "Maybe Braxiatel."

"Do you think he knows yet? About what happened?" Iota began to draw circles in the small pile of dirt by her feet.

Theta shrugged. "Probably. Ulysses knew. If Mamma didn't contact him, Ulysses likely did."

"Well, I'll have everyone furiously worrying for me now." She brushed all the dirt smooth so that the circles disappeared. "I just hope Nella and Tirin don't find out."

"We care for you. But I'm sorry." Theta reached out and squeezed her knee. "I hope they'll leave you alone eventually."

"Hopefully," Iota laughed.

She turned her hand over to see that the dirt had left a slight mark. On her other hand she drew a line before glancing towards Theta with a smile. Before he could do anything she launched herself at Theta's face. She decorated him with facial hair before pulling away and observing her masterpiece.

Theta blinked and looked at Iota in confusion. It seemed to dawn on him what she did and he collected his own dirt before launching himself at her and beginning to draw random shapes all over her face. Her giggling made it more difficult for him but he managed to decorate her acceptably.

Iota turned to the wall behind her and tested the dirt. Theta had cleaned it suitably enough that the dirt made a visible mark. She wrote her full second name before gesturing for Theta to do the same. He did so and then glanced at Iota. "Do we want to write Koschei's name for him?"

"I want him to write it for himself. It makes it more special." Iota smiled and looked back down on her hand. "I wonder if this is going to leave stains."

In answer, Theta left the cave and spun in a circle, attempting to check his robes. He poked his head back into the cave. "I don't see any. Did you?"

"Nope. I guess we're safe."

Theta returned to the cave as Iota lay down with her arms behind her head. She closed her eyes while she felt Theta rest his feet on her chest. "Hey!" She opened her eyes again and glared at him.

"What?"

"Get your feet off me."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because I told you do."

Theta laughed. "You're comfy. And don't pull the lie that you don't feel well. You just told me to stop worrying because you felt amazing."

Iota shoved him as hard as she could and then closed her eyes again. The ground wasn't that comfortable, but she didn't mind. It felt better than sleeping in the medical ward at the TARDIS farms. And she wasn't forced to fall asleep now. She could choose when she wanted the natural darkness to come and drift her away to sleep. She wouldn't be forced by a splitting pain in her head, or by a Time Lord sending her to Mental Sleep.

"We have a big family," Theta commented.

"What do you mean?" Iota opened her eyes again and glanced towards her brother. He was looking at the wall they had written their names on in thought.

"There were so many Time Lords at the TARDIS farms and according to Mamma they were all related to us. Like either first or second cousins." He sighed. "I wonder why we never saw them that much before."

"I'm sure Mamma has reasons for not bringing us."

Theta sighed again. "Yes, I know. But I wish I knew how many other students at the Academy are actually our family."

"Well, the Hunter and Percy told me that there tends to be one child in every Year who has a special connection with TARDISes and they all come from the TARDIS farms." Iota shrugged as best she could from the ground. "Maybe they're all our family. So one a year."

"Why don't we know any of them though?"

"You know better than I Time Lords are closer with their immediate family than their extended family. Most people don't know much about their extended family. Some don't even know they exist."

"So, some are like us?"

Iota pushed herself up on her arms. "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

Theta shrugged. He was able to do it much better than Iota had been. "I don't know. Something about the visit. Maybe the triplets." He turned to look at her. "Did you have any idea triplets had been born on Gallifrey?"

"I don't even know who the Lord President is right now. The Academy keeps news like that separate from us."

"But the triplets are our family!"

"You can ask Mamma if you want! But I don't know the answer." Iota fell back onto the ground and closed her eyes again. Theta adjusted his legs, but he didn't say anything else.

**A/N: Not much happened in this chapter, but there was a moment of being a protective father from Ulysses and a secret conversation between Iota and Theta.**

**Back to the Academy now; I wonder what trouble they'll get themselves into.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Yayyouguessedme (Guest): I'm so glad you loved it! I'm not going to say anything about the future of Koschiota :)_

_Teddy bear 007: It's fine! Congratulations!_

_I'msorrymylove: I'm so glad you loved it! True, she would._

_Moonbeam141: I'm so glad you liked it! :)_

_DW (Guest): I'm not saying anything more about what happens during the Time War with Iota; it's an important part of her life. Thank you! I'm glad you loved the scene! Thank you so much! I hope you'll enjoy them! Nothing dramatic, just that most healers aren't that nice. I'm planning in the future for Iota to meet one who's much more common for a healer. Thank you!_

_isn't-that-wizard: I hope you liked the update! Thank you so much! I hope your story turns out amazing, as I'm certain it will!_


	31. Part 1: Chapter Thirty-One

Breakfast for Tirin, Nella and Iota was cut short by the two professors that guided their Year as Tenth Year Novices around the Academy, Laurie and Westerfield, who arrived to stand beside the table. They looked down at the three children. "As you most likely know, this is the year that you go on your first trip as students at the Academy," Laurie began.

"Today is the day we go to see the birth of a star," Westerfield finished with a smile. He was much more friendly then Laurie and actually taught one of their classes, meaning he was a constant figure in their life. The Found had informed him of Nella's promise and he had joined the slowly growing group of professors that studied her or gave her work to attempt. At least one professor from every Year they had passed through had joined. Iota, on the contrary, still only had the Hunter and Percy watching her. And neither had contacted her in years.

Laurie tried to smile, but it was clearly faked. "Please finish quickly and meet us at the main hall. We will be waiting there." Laurie and Westerfield didn't require the Year to stay together in a group as they made their way through the Academy. Most still stayed together, since Qurine Lecmic remained the only one who knew his way around the Academy. But Nella had taken to making her own maps, meaning Tirin and Iota were forced to trust her, even if they got lost.

The three children nodded and the Time Lords bowed before moving to the next table of Tenth Year Novices. Nella turned to Tirin and Iota the moment they were alone. "This is so amazing. I mean, I've read about star births but I've never seen it in person." She turned specifically to Iota. "I mean, Theta and Koschei said it was amazing."

Theta had rushed to Iota the moment he returned to the Academy two years before. He had been unable to describe what he had seen, only able to mumble about the light and beauty. He had clung to Iota in a daze until Koschei arrived to relieve her. Koschei had been able to give a better description, but he had told her he was unable to say anything close to real life.

"You mean Koschei said it was amazing."

Nella shrugged. "Well, Theta alluded to it."

Tirin, for the first time Iota had known him, looked excited for something Academy related. He had shoved his food away and was bouncing in the chair. "Can you two hurry up and finish?"

Nella and Iota smiled to each other, but they were unable to keep eating as well. The thought of going on a trip away from the Academy filled every crevice of their being. Everything else had no meaning. They shoved aside their food and stood up. The rest of their Year seemed to feel the same, since a mass of students with white sashes made their way to the door as one. Qurine Lecmic, as he naturally did, made his way to the front of the crowd and led the way to the main hall.

Laurie and Westerfield waited side by side with their hands behind their backs. They smiled as they saw the students approaching them in a group. "Hello," Laurie greeted them while Westerfield only had an amused smile on his face. "Come along." She turned and began to lead them out of the main hall.

Nella rushed to Westerfield. "Where are we going?"

"There are a few TARDISes resident here. We'll be taking a TARDIS to watch the star."

Iota tensed as she heard what was said. She had avoided TARDISes ever since the events at the TARDIS farms. There weren't many times that she had to be near them, but she made sure Nella lead them through the Academy on a route that didn't pass by the TARDIS cradle. Giara had even contacted her a few days after she returned and warned her to avoid TARDISes until Giara contacted her again. Still, she had heard nothing from the healer.

"Why are we doing that?" Tirin reached out to squeeze Iota's hand. She had told him what happened, but not Nella. She hadn't wanted the theories Nella would come up with for what had happened to her. Both had felt terrible not telling Nella, but they thought it was for the best.

It had been difficult to tell Tirin what happened. She had been forced to avoid most of the details of the exact feelings or events because of the pain that arrived. It was less than the first time. Her head had pounded but she had been able to get through the words if she planned carefully.

Westerfield looked down to Tirin in amusement. "We have to go to a certain space and time in order to witness the birth of a star."

"We're going to travel through time?" Nella's eyes widened.

"Most likely." He gestured to Laurie. "She's the one who'll be piloting. I never earned my pilots license. No one has bothered to tell me exactly where we're going," he said the last sentence in a whisper. Nella seemed fascinated by the prospect.

Tirin pulled Iota aside. "Are you okay?" Nella didn't notice the two getting separated in the crowd. "You can say you're sick."

"As if that's going to do anything," Iota laughed. "And I don't want to miss out on the birth of a star."

"But what if it happens again?"

Iota rested a hand on the side of her head. "The last time it happened when I touched the console."

"Please don't touch it this time, whatever you do." Tirin clutched her other hand. "I don't want you to get hurt again."

"I'll be careful, I promise." Iota pulled Tirin back through the crowd. They had fallen to the back of the group. She could see Nella looking for them from the front. Nella's eyes met hers and the girl waved. "Come on. We have to go."

They caught up with Nella just as the Year began to exit the Academy towards the building that held shuttles and, apparently, TARDISes. Westerfield looked surprised to see that they had left.

Laurie stopped in front of a black, cube shaped TARDIS near the front of the building almost as soon as they entered. She pulled a key from a chain around her neck and unlocked it before pushing the door aside and letting the students enter. "Don't touch anything."

Without thinking, Iota clutched Tirin's arm for support as they entered the TARDIS. The boy didn't respond.

The interior of the TARDIS was large. It stretched far beyond what Iota could see. The console sat in the center of the empty room. It looked similar then the other two Iota had seen, with no wires and barely and visible controls. The walls were black tiled with a white stripe along the center of the room. The floor seemed to be a dark metal.

Laurie moved through the crowd to the console. She pressed a button and white pillars rose equal distances around the room. They had handles surrounding them. "Please take hold onto one of the handles. This TARDIS is meant for being piloted by only one person, but the ride still may be bumpy. I'd prefer none of you get injured."

Nella, Tirin and Iota moved to a pillar of their own near the door. Nella seemed upset at the prospect, but Tirin and Iota didn't budge. There were four spots for people to hold, but no one came to join them. There were enough that a few pillars were empty. Tirin made certain he stood next to Iota.

"Are you alright so far?" Tirin whispered to her.

Iota nodded. She stood at the farthest spot from the console. There was faint warmth and singing sound, but both were barely there. Even with only that, she could tell that this TARDIS was different than the one at the TARDIS farms. It was harsher. She couldn't explain it, but she knew. Even with that, the warmth felt kind. Like the TARDIS wanted to be kind to her, but it didn't know exactly how.

Iota shook her head. She didn't want to think anything more on the TARDISes. The thoughts made her stomach churn, and it was partially from the warmth. This TARDISes warmth felt like she had been lying in the sun for too long.

"Is everyone holding onto something?" Laurie called from the console. Westerfield was standing on his own pillar close to the console, but he clearly didn't want to go near the console.

The Year called out as one that they were all holding onto something. Laurie flicked a switch and the TARDIS jolted. "Sorry."

Tirin turned to Iota. Nella, as far as Iota could tell, was entranced by simply being in the TARDIS. She didn't seem to be listening to anything the other two said. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

Though she had hated when Theta and Koschei constantly asked her that after the first occurrence, Tirin asking her didn't feel so strange. Maybe it was the fact that now she was actually inside a TARDIS, or just Tirin had no sense of being a brother to her.

"I'm fine."

Tirin nodded to her hand. Iota looked at it in confusion to find that her knuckles were turning white with the force she was clutching the handle. She used her other hand to quickly pull the fingers off.

"Do you need anything? Is there anything I can do?"

Iota smiled. "So far, I'm fine."

"So far?"

"I'll tell you if anything happens." She reached out and squeezed his hand. "And you'll also know because I'll most likely be screaming."

Tirin gave her a small smile in return. Nella turning to look at them forced them to stop talking, but the girl didn't seem to suspect anything. "This is so amazing."

The two forced smiles. "I think strange is a better word," Tirin laughed.

"Come on, Iota. You have to think this is interesting." Nella leaned around the pillar to look at Iota in particular.

Iota shrugged. "It's okay." She looked around. "I'm more interested in the birth of the star then the TARDIS."

Nella nodded, but she didn't look like she fully believed her. Instead of responding, she cast a glance towards the two Time Lords before pushing herself off the pillar and making her way over to the one Giro and Viru hung off of. Tirin turned back to Iota.

"Well, we don't have to worry about her hearing anymore." The rest of the TARDIS was making enough noise as it flew that they also didn't have to worry about anyone else. Neither one of them knew how long the flight would be. Laurie appeared to be taking her time. If Iota focused, it felt like she could hear Laurie attempting to convince Westerfield to try and help her fly the TARDIS. He sounded adamant to stay clutching his pillar.

"I am excited about the star." She had seen a picture and read a description of what would happen, but she truly wanted to see it herself. "I've heard it's amazing."

"Of course you are," Tirin laughed. "There's the threat that you might pass out with your head bursting in pain, and you're thinking about the star we're going to see."

"It's a nice distraction," she pointed out with her own smile. "I don't want to constantly be thinking about it. Would you?"

Tirin switched so that his other hand clutched the handle. "Honestly, I wouldn't either. I don't blame you."

There was a large jolt and Iota was thrown from the handle. She slid a few feet across the ground before coming to a stop as the TARDIS leveled. "Iota?" Tirin called as she carefully pushed herself up. He had managed to keep hold. When she looked around, she saw that everyone else had stayed as well. Immediately, she blushed.

"Iota Xi?" Westerfield had made his way to her. He was crouched next to her. "Are you alright?"

He helped her stand. "I'm fine." He helped her back over to the pillar Tirin was still holding onto. "Thank you."

"You sure?"

She nodded. "Yes, thank you."

"We've arrived." Laurie pulled them from their conversations.

Tirin let go of the pillar and squeezed Iota's hand. Arriving had gone fine. All they had to worry about now was leaving.

**A/N: Exciting chapter; first field trip! And to the birth of a star! In a TARDIS! Who know's what could happen with Iota now?**

**It's rather sweet that Iota told Tirin what happened. She trusts him more then she trusts even Nella. And no hint of brotherly love; I wonder what other type of love could be brewing?**

**Notes on reviews:**

_None for this chapter :)_


	32. Part 1: Chapter Thirty-Two

The Year was quickly collected around the console by Laurie and Westerfield. A few students brushed against the edge of the console, but Iota and Tirin stood a few inches away from the back of the crowd. Nella stood near the front with Giro and Viru.

"Now, of course, we won't be leaving the TARDIS since we are currently floating in the middle of outer space." Laurie faked another smile. She seemed much more excited than Westerfield did. Iota could tell that Westerfield preferred to be on Gallifrey. Laurie must prefer to be in outer space; she seemed to have gained a large amount of energy just being where they were.

"Instead, we are going to be opening a section of the side of the TARDIS to allow you to see the birth." Westerfield's smile was much more real than Laurie's, though it was still forced.

Laurie flicked a switch and one of the walls began to slide apart behind the Year. Everyone turned as one. "Is that a window with glass or it is literally opening up into space?" Remon asked the question everyone was thinking. Even he sounded scared.

"There is glass. The strongest kind anyone in the universe could create. It's been tested on hundreds of star births in the past." Laurie hit another switch. "There's nothing to worry about."

Westerfield led the Year to the glass. Iota and Tirin ended up near the front, but Nella was quick to join them. "Now, you all know how stars are born, so I'm not going to explain it to you." Westerfield pointed to the large dark cloud sitting in the middle of empty space. "That's where the star begins."

Nella stepped closer to Westerfield. "Doesn't it take between ten thousand and one million years for just one step of a star being born to be completed?"

"That's another reason we've taken a TARDIS." Laurie drew the Year's attention back to her as she stood by the console. "I'll be speeding up time slightly so that we can watch the birth happen. The events will be happening like they naturally are, but we'll be watching it at a faster speed."

Prexitel made her way through the crowd to Laurie. "But the birth of a star requires a gravitational collapse. Won't we get pulled in?"

"We're in a TARDIS. There are shields protecting us." Laurie patted the console. "All you have to do is stand around and watch." She was beginning to look irritated at the amount of conversation that was being directed towards her. Westerfield moved to pull Prexitel back into the crowd. "I'll give you some time to observe the beginnings of the star before I begin to speed up the time."

Nella turned to look at Tirin and Iota. "Are you ready to watch this?" She had begun to bounce on her feet. She moved next to the window and pressed her hand against the glass. "This is so amazing. I'm glad that this is the first trip we get to go on."

"This is pretty amazing." Iota mimicked Nella's position. "I can't wait until it begins."

The other students around them soon joined the two girls in their position. Even Rotanic, who had seemed to be dreading the event, looked interested. She wasn't pressed against the glass but her eyes were wide and her hand was hovering like she wanted to touch the glass to get even closer.

"And now, the first step for the birth of the star will begin." Laurie flicked a switch behind them and they began to watch the cloud vibrate. It clearly had been doing that before, but only miniscule amounts a year. Now that time had begun to speed up, they could see it occurring before their eyes.

Nella pointed against the glass. "Look. The hydrogen gas and the dust are beginning to compress," she whispered, but everyone in the room was able to hear her. "They're going to form a slowly turning globule and then that will start to collapse and then-"

"We know what happens," Kado snapped at Nella, making her jump. He glared at her. "Shut up. I want to watch."

None of the other students said anything to defend her. It was clear that they agreed with Kado, only they were unable to say it. Even Prexitel; Iota swore that the girl nodded in agreement to what Kado said.

Something resonated through the vibrating cloud and they watched as it began to shrink and divide. A nearby star had collapsed and sent a shock wave through the cloud, beginning the birth. The students pressed even closer to the glass. The separated clouds were much smaller than the original and they swirled through space. As they watched, it formed the same globule that Nella had talked about. The globule rotated quickly, reminding them again that Laurie had speed up time.

Iota remembered what she had read about what happened. Even if they couldn't see it, the center of the globule was beginning to heat up. A second after she thought the words the center of the globule began to burn a deep red-orange. It was a small spot amongst the dark of the globule. It became even smaller until the entire globule a brighter white than any of the students could bare looking at. They held up their hands to block the light while Laurie messed with a few buttons on the console.

A second later, they could look again. The almost finished star rotated before light exploded out of it. It was even brighter than the light before and seemed to fill the entire space. It covered the window with white light. The students were still able to watch, but there was nothing to see. The inside of the TARDIS increased in temperature, even with the amount of shields Laurie had up.

As they watched, the light faded until it was only a small sphere that spun in the distance. It looked like it was covered with molten lava that churned constantly.

"And there you have it." Laurie's voice pulled the students from their thoughts. "The birth of a star."

"That was amazing," Rotanic whispered. She had moved to mimic the rest of the students of the Year, pressed against the glass to watch.

"I can understand why Theta was like he was after this now," Nella whispered. "That was incredible."

Iota nodded. She didn't look away from the window, even though the only thing there was a star burning in the distance. "How did Koschei manage to stay so calm?"

"Can we see that again?" Tirin whispered. He was rubbing his eyes from the light. "Maybe with a better shielding the next time."

Westerfield laughed and clasped Tirin on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, but we can't. We must get back to the Academy now."

Tirin looked visibly upset. "Do we ever come to see a star birth again?"

"You get to come back at the end of your education. Right before your Naming Ceremony. Some say it helps students figure out what they want their titles to be. That seeing a star birth makes something click inside their heads." He smiled. "I know it did in me."

"I can't wait." Tirin turned to Iota. "I understand how excited you were now."

"Were?" Iota finally turned from the window to look at Tirin. "I still am. For the next time."

The wall slowly slid up to cover the glass again. The students stepped back, all of them upset about leaving the star. They turned as one to look at Laurie. She hadn't moved from the console to watch the star. If anything, she seemed to have been looking away the entire time.

"It's time to return to the Academy, like Westerfield said. Please return to the pillars so that you do not get injured." She looked towards Iota especially with the last statement. Iota blushed and she hurried to the pillar the farthest from the console once more. Tirin followed her, while Nella remained with Giro and Viru.

"We can do this," Tirin whispered to her, taking the hand that didn't clutch the pillar already. "You got here alright; it'll be easy going back."

"I hope so." Iota closed her eyes and wished for Laurie to hurry with bringing them back. The star had distracted her from her worry, but now that that was gone all she could think about was what would happen if the pain returned and she collapsed. "I hope it'll be easy."

"Is everyone holding onto something?" Laurie called. Iota forced herself to glance towards the two Time Lords. Laurie seemed focused on the console, slowly walking around it with her hand hovering slightly above it. Westerfield was watching Iota carefully; the fact she had fallen last time meaning she got automatic protection. Iota grimaced. She had enough professors watching her back at the Academy.

The Year called out in affirmative as one. Laurie pressed a button on the console and twisted a knob. The TARDIS jolted as it had the first time, but the students were ready for it. Iota pulled her hand out of Tirin's so that she could use both hands to hold on. She didn't want to fall again.

Tirin and Iota didn't talk on the TARDIS flight back. Instead, Iota stood stiffly clutching the pillar and wishing that she didn't fall or hit the console. Tirin occasionally rubbed her back, but Iota gave no response.

"We've arrived," Laurie called after a particularly large jolt. This time, Iota didn't fall. She carefully forced her hands off the pillar and moved quickly to stand by the TARDIS door. Laurie already stood there unlocking it. The moment it was open she rushed out to a distance a few feet away from the TARDIS.

Tirin followed a second later. "Are you alright?" He was careful to keep his voice quiet. No one seemed to notice her leaving; they were all still discussing the star. Even the Time Lords were distracted.

"I'm fine." Iota wrapped her arms around herself. "I just wanted to get out of the TARDIS, that's all."

The rest of the Year streamed out of the TARDIS, with the two Time Lords at the back. Remon stepped up to Laurie. "We traveled in time to get to the star; what time is it here?"

"We've spent the entire day at the star." Laurie smiled. It was the first one of her smiles that looked relatively real. "It's dinner time now." All the student's eyes widened. "Don't worry. Everyone here at the Academy has lived a little less or more than they claim because of time travel. It's nothing to worry about."

"All Time Lords, actually. It's a common occurrence for us." Westerfield made his way through the crowd to lead the way back to the main building of the Academy. "If you travel long enough, age becomes a number you can't bother keeping track of."

As soon as Nella, Tirin and Iota entered the dining room, Theta and Koschei rushed to meet them. "How was it?" Theta breathed.

"Amazing." The three children spoke at once.

Koschei smiled widely. "Told you. Do you see now why my description couldn't match it?"

Again, the three children spoke at once. "Yes."

Theta clasped Tirin on his shoulder. "Go eat something. That helped me."

The three nodded and slowly made their way over to the table their Year already sat at. Instead of the normal conversation that would dance between the students, the Year sat in silence. Most picked at their food while some ate it absentmindedly. Nella and Iota only picked at their food, but Tirin ate it like it was the only thing he could do.

When dinner ended, none of the Year went to the library for the study period. Ulysses had contacted Nella the day before to say that they wouldn't be having a lesson the day she went to the birth of a star. Nella hadn't understood then, but she understood now.

The two went to bed as soon as they entered their room. No words were exchanged.

As Iota lay letting the darkness pull her into sleep, she smiled. Nothing had happened with a TARDIS that time. She was safe.

**A/N: The trip on the TARDIS has ended, and thankfully nothing occurred. But who knows what else the Academy has in store for her...**

**So sorry this chapter is so late; I forgot to post until late at night.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_I'msorrymylove: I won't say anything on the topic of their relationship. But thank you for telling me what you think on the topic. It's important to me that my readers enjoy the story._

_Lil Angel 927: I'm glad you think so! Currently, they are around 18. She'll come into her own, don't worry. She just has to find her place._

_DW (Guest): So sorry that you missed it! All of the students think it's both fun and amazing, certainly :). Who knows... :)_


	33. Part 1: Chapter Thirty-Three

It was lunch, a few days before Iota's eighty-eighth birthday. Even though she was as old as she was, she still looked no older then she had when she was eleven. Most of the members of her Year looked either twelve or thirteen, but some looked even older. They had all started aging slower at some respective birthday near the beginning of their education career. By the time most were three hundred, they would look eighteen year old humans. But it varied between person to person. Iota still looked one of the youngest in the Year, even though others had their birthdays after hers.

Normally, Iota would see Theta or Koschei eating their breakfast or run into them as they made their way through the Academy. That day, however, she hadn't seen either of them yet that day.

"Hey? Isn't that Ulysses?" Nella pointed to a Time Lord making his way through the dining hall. The other two turned to look as well. "It is, isn't it?"

"Yeah. What's he coming here for?" The only time Iota had seen her father was on the times he would return home or when he worked with Nella. Nella still required help with language, even with as much help as Ulysses was giving her. Iota knew he was getting frustrated, though he kept it hidden from Nella. Nella was getting frustrated too. She complained to Iota nightly about the fact she had a class she wasn't good at.

As Ulysses came closer, it was clear he was irritated. His fists were clenched by his side. "Iota, did either Theta or Koschei mention to you what they were doing today?" He ignored both her friends as he spoke.

Iota shook her head. "No; why? What are they doing?"

"The problem is we don't know. They went missing after leaving a note that they would be back at the end of the day." Ulysses pulled the extra chair from their table and sat down. "Are you sure they didn't say anything?"

"Nothing. Can you tell me when they come back so that I know that they're all right?" She was worried for her brother and friend; how could she not be? To skip a day of classes at the Academy for any reason had drastic consequences.

Ulysses rubbed her shoulder as he stood. "Don't worry. You'll find out." He walked away. Nella, Tirin and Iota watched as he went over to the table filled with the rest of Theta and Koschei's friends, now commonly referred to as the Deca by most.

"Interesting; he seems to have come to you first. I would have thought he would go to their friends," Nella commented with a smile.

Iota shrugged. "I would have thought the same. Maybe he just thought they trusted me more than their friends."

"I wonder if the Deca know anything." Tirin shook his head as he used the group's name. "I still don't like using that name; why do they make us keep calling them that?"

"No idea. But they don't respond to anything else." Nella shrugged. "Even the professors call them the Deca. I like it though. It sounds important," she sighed as she spoke.

"Don't you dare suggest we need to come up with a name for us!" Tirin nearly spit out his food in worry.

Nella giggled. "Don't worry; I don't plan on it." Even though she spent most of the time in classes with Giro and Viru, she always returned to Tirin and Iota during meals and at study periods. Tirin and Iota stayed together most of the days; she knew if she didn't Tirin would stop paying attention in classes. It was all she could do to make sure he didn't fall asleep most days.

-I-

It was dinner, when the entire Year sat together, that Iota discovered most of the Academy knew what Koschei and Theta had done. Or at least, what people thought they had done. Everyone knew they had left the Academy but no one knew where they had gone. It was common knowledge that Iota didn't know, however. She had heard students whispering thatTheta hadn't even trusted his sister enough to tell her where they were going.

Some said they had released an alien from the labs and were bringing it back to its home world, but nothing had been reported missing. Some said they had gotten trapped inside a TARDIS and sent back in time, but even though a TARDIS was missing no one truly thought the boys would be skilled enough to pilot a TARDIS.

They bounced theories off each other until Remon pointed towards the doorway. "There they are!" As though everyone in the dining hall had heard him, all the students at the Academy turned at once.

The two boys were being escorted by a large number of professors. Theta looked like he was covered in soot, but Koschei looked fine. Both had wide smiles on their faces and they clearly didn't care what anyone around them thought. As the students watched, the boys were lead to the table the professors surrounded. It was there they ate for the rest of the meal. The rest of the dining hall shot them glances occasionally.

Iota knew that the moment they were free from the professors, the two boys would rush to tell her what happened. As dinner ended and Tirin and Nella made to return to the library. Iota stopped right outside the door.

"Actually, I forgot something in our room," she said to Nella. "I'll meet you at the library in a few minutes." The two nodded and hurried to the library; Nella for the lesson with Ulysses and Tirin for a vague attempt at the essay he had to write.

It was unlikely that the boys would be able to escape from the professors, but there was a chance the professors would let them return to their room earlier than normal. And if she knew anything about Koschei and Theta, they would find a way to the secret hideout.

The boys had found it on Koschei's seventy-second birthday. According to their story, the boys had been wandering instead of doing the assigned work. Koschei had shoved Theta into a wall because of a teasing comment about his obsession with work and the wall had slid open. It was in a normally empty hall at the Academy, and the boys hadn't bothered to look there before.

The room they found was larger than the cave, but it was only a bit larger than the size of their dormitories. It had been covered with dust and spider webs, but there were two small couches on either side of the room that were relatively clean. There was also a singular desk at the back of the room, cluing them into the fact it had once been an office.

The boys cleaned it before informing Iota of their discovery. If either of them had any news they wanted to share with her that they wanted no one else to know about they would ask her to meet there. If the flower pot outside the room was turned so that the picture of a lion from Earth faced the outside, the one not invited knew not to enter.

Iota glanced around her as she leaned against the wall. It required a bit of pressure to open. Their guess was that it had been a door that they covered up with a wall that had simply worn through. The room was empty, but Iota hoped she only had to wait. She sat down on the desk and began to swing her feet as she waited.

It was only a few minutes later that the wall slid open and the two boys bounded in. "We knew you'd be here." Theta grinned. He was still covered with the powder like soot.

Iota crossed her arms. "Where were you? And why didn't you tell me?"

Koschei and Theta fell onto a separate couch each. "We didn't want to tell you; then we knew you'd get in trouble." Theta turned so that his head was resting on the arm rest of the couch. "Sorry."

"What were you doing?"

Theta pointed to Koschei. "I'm going to let you tell the story."

"Have you ever heard about the Medusa Cascade?" Koschei turned so that he was resting on his elbows and facing Iota. She shook her head. "It's a rift in time and space."

"Well, it was a rift," Theta pointed out. "We closed it."

"'Sealed it' is the proper term." Koschei grinned. "But yeah, we did. We learned about it last year in one of our classes and Theta came up with the brilliant idea to try and do something about it. Ushas rigged something up in her spare time and she finished it a few days ago."

"I said we should go right away but Koschei said we had to plan what we were going to do." Theta was tall enough to swing his legs off the back edge of the couch. "I, of course, speed up the planning process with my own brilliant ideas."

"You say brilliant. They were all terrible," Koschei laughed. "Anyway, today was the day we decided to do it. I left the note so that people didn't think we were kidnapped and Theta attempted to fly the TARDIS to the Cascade. It didn't fully work, but when I helped we managed to get there."

"But neither of you have licenses!"

Koschei shrugged. "That's why it took a few chances. I think we accidentally went to the formation of Earth one time." He considered the last statement for a few seconds. "Anyways, one we reached the Cascade, Ushas' contraption sort of exploded in Theta's face."

Theta gestured to the soot. "Tada."

"I was able to fix it, and then we sealed the rift. I brought us back and that's when we found the professors waiting for us." Koschei let his arms fall so that his armpits rested on the couch. "And you saw the rest. Except before that, there was a lot of a shouting from the professors that waited there."

Theta grinned widely. "It was amazing, though. It was worth it."

"I agree," Koschei sighed. "It was amazing."

Iota sighed, though hers was more for irritation rather than amazement. "I can't believe the two of you."

"What?" The two boys spoke in unison. It reminded Iota of the triplets at the TARDIS farms. They had arrived at the Academy and quickly become the only thing people could talk about. Theta had once again been annoyed that they didn't know anything about their extended family. Koschei had hung around a lot more with Iota and her friends for the days Theta was constantly moaning. The rest of the Deca hadn't even wanted to be around him.

"You go on an adventure and you don't bother telling me! How dare you!" She pulled both of her shoes off and threw one of them at each boy. "I hate you."

They laughed. "Now, I know you're lying there." Theta threw the shoe back.

"Do you plan on doing anything more now that you've had an adventure once? Or is that enough for you?"

"I want to do something else." Theta looked to Koschei. "I don't know about him though. Koschei?"

He shrugged. "Probably. It was amazing, but it was dangerous. If we do anything else we might get kicked out of the Academy."

"What if you just do stuff inside the Academy?" Iota suggested. "I'm sure there's stuff to do here."

The boys nodded in agreement. "Probably. We'll have to look into it more."

"Don't leave me out of it this time, though. I'll be even angrier at you then."

They smiled the same way before moving to the door. "We'd better get back before we get in trouble." Theta pushed open the door. "Bye, Iota. We'll see you around."

She pushed herself off the desk. "You'd better." She waited a few more minutes before leaving. It would look suspicious for the three of them to be leaving the remote hall together, especially since Theta and Koschei were supposed to be in their room.

-I-

Tirin looked up in surprise as Iota slid into the chair across from him. As normal, Nella was already working with Ulysses on the next desk over. "Where have you been? It's been forever."

"I got trapped by the Hunter and Percy. They wanted to talk to me about TARDISes," Iota whispered in response. She felt bad lying to Tirin, but she couldn't tell him the truth. Her meeting with Theta and Koschei was supposed to be a secret.

Tirin reached out quickly to take her hand. "Are you alright? What did they ask about?"

"Just how the TARDIS farms had been. Apparently they only just found out that I went."

"Do they know what happened?"

Iota shook her head. "No. They just wanted to know if I sensed anything wrong with any of the TARDISes there. I was glad to tell them no."

"So you're all right?"

"I'm fine." Iota pulled her hand away from his and pointed to the paper in front of him. "Now show me what you have so far."

**A/N: The boys went on their first adventure! How exciting! Since the Doctor mentioned in the Stolen Earth episode he went to the Medusa Cascade when he was 90, I decided to throw a small mention to it here.**

**And they discovered their secret hideout at the Academy. A perfect place for secret meetings and late night discussions :).**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: I know :( We'll find out more what's specifically happening to her later in the story._

_Lilangel927: Time will start to pass much quicker now :). I try to mention the current age or Year somewhere close to the beginning of the chapter, but feel free to ask me any questions on any characters age at a point in the story._

_DW (Guest): Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying the chapters! Thank you! I would as well, but she's just as worried as anyone else. It is something threatening; if people found out what happened, who knows what would happen to her. I agree, but some people get annoyed when other people are better at things then they are. Especially at such a competitive and academically focused community as the Academy. Thank you, I hope you enjoy the update!_


	34. Part 1: Chapter Thirty-Four

It was when they were becoming Third Year Apprentices that the first one of their Year failed. They lined up at the back of the collection of Apprentices, expecting it to be a normal score announcement. They had seen members of other Years failing and being escorted out, but for some reason they all seemed to assume all of them would be fine. They had Remon and Prexitel to help them, after all. If someone had problems with any class they would go to them for help. Tirin and Iota, however, would go to Nella instead.

Only one member of Koschei and Theta's Year had failed before then. Iota never paid full attention to Braxiatel's Year, except when the brother in question was called up. There wasn't any special announcement when someone failed. Their score was simply announced and they were escorted out, never to be seen again.

Half of the Year received higher scores than normal, most reaching into the eighties or low nineties. As Kado stepped up the the platform, Iota couldn't help but notice he looked more nervous than the rest. He was wringing his hands and she could almost hear his hearts pounding. The light reflected off the sweat droplets on his forehead.

"Kado, Second Year Apprentice. You scored an average of forty nine on the exam." Without another word, two Time Lords emerged from the shadows behind the platform. They surrounded Kado and turned him around so that he faced the wall they had emerged from. The last second Iota could see that he was already crying. She didn't like a single thing about Kado, but she didn't wish failing upon him. No one knew what happened, since no one saw those who failed any time after. He and the two Time Lords vanished through a door and the next student stepped up as though nothing had happened.

The next day, the entire Year began to whisper about Kado. They knew they weren't supposed to talk about him once he had failed, but they couldn't help themselves. He had failed. They felt sorry for him. And they wanted to know where he had gone. Kado had no friends among the Year, not even his roommate, but everyone began to pretend they had always cared for him deeply.

Remon and Prexitel asked all of the professors that taught their classes that day, but when they reported back the conversations no one learned anything more.

"Excuse me?" Remon would ask.

"Yes?" The professor would look up from their paper or the board they were erasing.

"We were wondering what happened to Kado." Prexitel would always ask the most important question.

The professor would squint at them. "Who? I'm sorry; I don't know who you're talking about." The two would leave quickly afterwards.

Iota asked Theta what happened to Kado. He glanced around her before responding. "You're not supposed to talk about him anymore. Pretend he doesn't exist. He never existed." He rested his hand on your shoulder. "I don't want anyone from your Year getting in trouble because they keep asking about Kado. Just let him fade away."

A few days later, it seemed as though that had happened. Not a single member of the Year spoke of him again. The three who shared one room were separated so that Kado's old roommate was not left alone. Kado simply faded away.

Iota was one of the few that still wondered where he had gone. In spaces of silence at dinner she would look around to attempt to find others whose eyes drifted to the spot where Kado normally sat. They had all adjusted on the table so that his spot had vanished, but everyone still knew where it was. There were two others like her.

All Iota really wanted to know was where he went. She didn't want to know what happened to him or where he went after the first place, but she wanted to know they didn't automatically kill him. She hoped that he was just hidden away, left to live on his own. But she didn't put it past Time Lords to simply kill him.

-I-

A frantic knocking woke Nella and Iota the middle of one night of their year as Tenth Year Apprentices. Iota moved blearily to open the door. She was immediately shocked awake at the dark outline of Theta and Koschei struggling to hold something between them. The hallway outside of the rooms was dark, but she knew it was them. She used both hands and pulled them into her room, letting the door fall closed behind them.

"What are you doing here?" Her whisper snapped. Nella was still blinking awake.

Koschei pushed what they were holding so that only Theta held it. "Theta had the brilliant idea to break into the labs tonight." Apprentices had one class in the labs. Nella adored it, Tirin was interested and Iota hated it. She hated the surgical precision that everything had to be done and most of all she hated the fact that animals sat in cages in one large room. The animals were studied and experimented on every day.

Theta attempted a smile. "When we had class in there we were shown the new alien they had captured." That jumped Nella awake. It was rare that they actually had an alien from another planet in the labs. Normally it was animals from around Gallifrey.

"Which one?" She stood and moved carefully towards Theta. "Can I see it?"

In response, Koschei pulled the dark fabric they had covered the cage Theta was holding up. Nella and Iota leaned down to see. Inside sat a blood orange creature. It seemed to have reflective scales with a long tail that wrapped around it. There were small wings that didn't look usable folded on its back. The alien was asleep, but the small ears on either side of its head fluttered.

Nella gasped. "That's a Rosi, isn't it?" The alien shifted. It had large feet that were a deep blue, almost black.

"Yeah. Somehow it had wandered onto Gallifrey; the professors suspect that it snuck onto the ambassadors ships and ended up here. They already contacted Zouti, but they said we could keep him." Koschei lowered the fabric again as the alien stirred like it was waking.

"And what made you want to kidnap it?" Iota rested her hands on her hips. Even if she still looked like she was a twelve year old human, the simple fact she was attempting to look older tended to shock others into responding like she was as old as she pretended she was.

Theta moved the cage so that it was on Nella's bed. Nella immediately moved to protect it. "They were going to dissect it."

"And?"

"They said they weren't going to care if it died or not. They said they were going to take its vital organs out for study and leave it to its own devices." Theta glanced at Koschei. "I couldn't just let it die."

"And then he drew me into it. We had to avoid asking Ushas for help, since she loved the idea of dissecting the Rosi until it dies." Though Koschei looked irritated at being dragged into it, Iota could tell he felt some amount of worry for the Rosi. There was no way even Theta could convince him to do something he didn't want to do.

"But what are you going to do with it now that you have it?" Nella asked. "There's no way you can bring it back to Zouti; that's a few galaxies over."

Theta and Koschei glanced from the Rosi to each other. "We hadn't actually thought about that yet."

Nella's eyes grew and she stood. She already looked like she was either fourteen or fifteen and was much taller than Iota. Koschei and Theta only looked like they were twelve or thirteen, so they cowered below Nella. "So you just kidnapped a Rosi from the labs and have no plan with what to do with it? You idiots!" Her hands shot to cover her mouth and everyone looked towards the door; she had shouted the last sentence. They didn't want anyone coming. Boys and girls weren't allowed anywhere near the other's dormitories, especially not in their rooms.

"We were going to try and figure it out once we got here." Theta attempted to defend them. "That's why we came here; we know you'd be able to help." Both Koschei and Theta were looking at Nella as they said that. Iota knew they were right to do so; she wouldn't be any help. She was still in shock at the fact they had managed to kidnap a Rosi in the first place.

"You're going to have to use a TARDIS if you want to bring it back to Zouti, but that's practically impossible since neither of you have TARDIS licenses." She held up her hand to stop them from speaking. "Yes, I know you piloted one to the Medusa Cascade. But you have to admit that was mostly luck." They nodded. "And there is no way you're getting that lucky again."

"Are you done scolding us, or do you actually have an idea on what we can do?" Koschei snapped. "Because if we don't figure out what to do soon, we're going to get in huge trouble; all four of us."

"Then why did you come to us? I'm sure you could have figured out what to do on your own." Iota moved to sit on Nella's bed next to the Rosi. She could hear it purring under the blanket.

Theta shrugged. "We thought you'd be able to help us."

Iota sighed. "If we're going to have to use a TARDIS to get to Zouti, so we're going to have to pilot one."

Everyone turned in shock to her. "Did you not hear what I said?" Nella asked. "I said we would need a lot of luck to even get vaguely right. There's no way we could pilot a TARDIS."

"I think we can." Iota shrugged. "And besides, there's an automatic return home option; we learned about it today, remember? All we have to do is press it and we'll get sent to the place set as home in the TARDIS." They had begun to have a class on TARDISes as Apprentices. It was namely on how everything inside one worked. It was the one class that the Hunter informed her she got a one hundred as a score. He was excited to tell her that almost every time he had seen her. Apparently, he and Percy had begun to doubt that she had a bond with TARDISes. But it wasn't every day that someone got a one hundred in a class on TARDISes, so it strengthened their belief in her.

Koschei and Theta nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I like that idea." Koschei smiled. "We can do this."

"Let's hurry." Theta lifted the cage into his arms and turned to Koschei. "Come on, help me." Koschei hurried to do so. They moved to the door. "Let's go."

Iota pushed the door open for them as she grabbed a robe. Nella followed her grumbling almost silently about how stupid their idea was. "Who knows the way to the place they store TARDISes?" She asked, looking down the hall.

Koschei somehow managed to point down the hall while still holding onto the cage. "That way." The four of them hurried down the hall.

It was difficult to get to the building that stored TARDISes. They walked slowly, attempting to stay in the shadows. Koschei only knew the vague direction they had to go, so everyone turned to Nella to help them. She was glad to oblige.

Once they reached the TARDISes Nella and Iota pressed against the doors to attempt to find one that was unlocked. "Found one!" Nella smiled and pushed the door open. The inside was almost identical to the one they had used to go to the birth of a star. The only change was that the console looked larger.

"OK, who's going to pilot it?" Theta asked as he and Koschei placed the cage on the ground. Iota stayed by the door. Now that she was inside the TARDIS, the fact she was actually inside a TARDIS struck her. She was doing the one thing she had promised Tirin she would never do.

Instead of responding, Nella looked to Iota. "You're the one with a one hundred." Koschei and Theta widened their eyes.

"You have a one hundred?"

Iota felt herself blushing. "Yes."

They gestured to the console. "Then hurry!" There was scratching inside the cage. "I think the Rosi is waking up."

Iota took a deep breath and hurried to the console. A kind singing filled her head. It felt almost motherly. She had the sense that the TARDIS would take care of most of the flying. It sounded kind.

Her hand shook as she reached out for the first lever. She was terrified. She didn't want Koschei and Theta to worry about her even more and she didn't want Nella to know. She held her breath as she slowly pulled the lever down. The TARDIS began to buzz.

**A/N: Another adventure started because of Koschei and Theta. But this time, Iota and Nella are along for the ride. I guess the boys kept to their promise!**

**But Iota's also inside a TARDIS again. And she's preparing to pilot it; I wonder how that's going to turn out :).**

**Also, a student failed. Poor Kado :(. I wonder what happened to him.**

**Before I go on to responding to reviews, I'm just going to comment that I'm currently participating in NaNoWriMo, so it's possible chapter posting will slow this month because I'll get distracted by the 50,000 words I'm trying to write. I hope this won't happen, but it may. Just a warning :)**

**Notes on reviews:**

_DW (Guest): I'm glad you found an old account. I'll be certain to look out for your username :). That was a rather large jump, wasn't it? This one was a bit smaller. Thank you for her early birthday wish! Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. No need to picture it; it's actually happening :). So glad you loved the chapter!_

_I'msorrymylove: Good job guessing their age! I have to agree, they're rather cute together, aren't they? Even just as friends :)._


	35. Part 1: Chapter Thirty-Five

The TARDIS vibrated around them as Iota closed her eyes and cringed. She waited for the pain to come, expecting it even. There was no way it couldn't happen. It had happened the last time she had been this close to a console and she knew it hadn't been an accident.

The moment she touched the console of the TARDIS her chest burst with warmth. It was kind, making her feel like she was wrapped tightly in a blanket. The darkness behind her eyes was peppered with gold that grew until it was all she could see. She could hear the Rosi humming in its cage, Theta adjusting the fabric, Koschei scratching his arm and Nella making her way to the console. It was less than what happened at the TARDIS farms and she could feel the TARDIS holding back. It seemed to know that any more would hurt her.

Iota smiled and let her eyes open with a gasp. Her hand reached out and she quickly pulled switches and pressed buttons. Her entire body buzzed every time she touched the console.

"Wow, you deserve that one hundred," Theta laughed, making Iota glance at him with a smile.

"Thanks." She turned to Nella. "What are the coordinates for Zouti? I've sent us into flight in the vortex for now." If there was anyone she trusted to know the exact coordinates for Zouti, most likely the center of the Rosi environment, it was Nella. Koschei would be second on the list, however. But never would she ask Theta.

Nella thought for a moment, clearly reviewing planets in her mind. "Can I type it in? I might mess up if I try and say it out loud." In response, Iota swung a screen and keyboard across the console over to her. Nella rushed to type it in.

"Do you think it would be fine if we took the fabric off the cage?" Theta asked. Iota could hear him still fingering the fabric, even though her back was to him. "I think the Rosi is upset."

Nella moved over to join him, resting her hand on the top of the cage. "It might be good for a little while, but if I remember correctly too long can be disastrous."

Koschei nodded. "One of the few things we actually know about the Rosi is that if you want to keep them under your control, you have to keep them in the dark. Otherwise they'll escape." From what Iota could tell, Theta seemed upset. It sounded like he kneeled on the ground in annoyance.

"Everyone hold on to something," Iota called. Her hand hovered over the lever that would send them flying towards Zouti. "When Laurie piloted it was dangerous; I know that someone is going to get injured when I do."

"There is a medical ward, we'll be fine." Nella was standing beside the console, with her hands clutching the edge. She shot a smile to Iota. "And I believe in you."

Iota glanced back to see Theta clutching the Rosi cage. He seemed content to remain. She glanced around the console to see Koschei holding onto the console as well. She couldn't help but notice he seemed much more worried than Nella was. Theta appeared indifferent.

"Ready?" Everyone nodded, though Theta only clutched the cage even tighter. "Let's go."

"Allons-y," Theta called, drawing all of their attention back to him. Iota paused an inch above the lever. Everyone stared at him as he stared back with a shrug. "It's french for 'let's go'."

Koschei laughed. "Of course. You don't pay any attention to other planets, but you've already learned almost every language on Earth in your free time."

Theta only grinned. "Earth is amazing; don't make fun of it." Koschei didn't respond.

Iota held her other hand to her mouth to suppress a giggle as she pressed the lever down. The TARDIS gave a large jolt and everyone but Iota flew through the air, the cage sliding across the floor. Even though she was only touching the lever, Iota only tilted slightly before standing straight again. She looked around to see her friends nursing hit heads and bruised arms.

"What happened?" Iota hadn't felt anything dramatic happening. To her, the TARDIS had only hit a slight bump.

Nella frowned at her. "How are you still standing?" She gestured to the Rosi cage. It was over on its side, the fabric fallen off one side. The Rosi seemed to be clinging to the edge of the cage. Its eyes now open, were completely a pale blue with a small pupil in the center. It frantically searched the room.

"I don't know." Iota fingered a button. It was loose. Something burned inside of her at the fact the TARDIS wasn't being properly cared for. It wasn't a bad burn, more of annoyance rather than pain. She felt the urge to fix it, even if she had no way of knowing what to do. No, not fix it. Heal it. She shook her head. She couldn't think of it like that, not after Ulysses' warning.

Theta rushed over to the cage, pulling the fabric over the side once more. There was a slight thud as the Rosi fell off the side. "Are you okay?" He whispered to the Rosi, stroking the cage. "Are you hurt?"

Koschei pushed himself back to the console. "How close are we to Zouti?"

Iota pulled the screen she had sent over to Nella back to her, typing a few things. She typed quicker than she normally did, she knew that for certain. "Not that far. About two minutes for us, give or take a few seconds." She quickly worked a few things on the console. "Though it may be longer, I don't know for certain."

Koschei raised his watch to his eyes, pressing a few buttons on the side. "I'll time you." Nella had gone to join Theta in caring for the Rosi.

The TARDIS gave a few more jolts on the rest of the flight. Between Theta and Nella, the cage didn't move much. But Koschei was constantly thrown about the TARDIS. He eventually just remained close to the wall, where he claimed with a frantic shout he'd be safe. Another bump later had him ending up on the other side of the TARDIS.

Iota typed a few last things before smiling widely. "We're here." She double checked the monitor. "Zouti. And thanks to Nella," she turned to smile at the girl in question, "right in the middle of Rosi habitat."

Nella's eyes lit up. "I didn't know if I had gotten that right or not."

"How did you know where the habitat is?" Koschei asked, groaning. "Even I don't know that."

"I've done research on my own time." Nella helped Theta lift the cage into their arms. "Come on, let's go." She frowned. "Was it 'allons-y' that you said?" She glanced to Theta. He nodded. "Well, allons-y!"

Iota hurried to help Koschei stand up. He already had a few bruises. "When we're finished we'll patch you up, OK?" He only groaned in response.

Theta and Nella managed to kick the TARDIS door open. Theta claimed it was because of their sheer strength, but Iota informed him she had unlocked the door. He ignored her.

From what Iota could tell from stepping outside, it was day time on Zouti. The sky was pale lavender with the occasional white cloud drifting across it. The trees stretched high above the children, with dark blue leaves that vibrated in the wind. They could faintly hear Rosi running and chirping around them.

Theta and Nella placed the cage on the ground, pulling the fabric off with a flourish. The Rosi immediately clung to the door of the cage, chirping wildly for its fellow species members. Koschei seemed to have perked up after breathing in the sweet air of Zouti.

The four children stood around the cage. Theta crouched beside the door, his hand at a safe distance as to avoid the tiny Rosi claws. "Ready?" They nodded and Theta hurried to pull the door open. Immediately the Rosi rushed out. It paused and turned to look at Koschei and Theta.

Somehow, the Rosi leaned forwards as though it was bowing to the two of them. It gave a final chirp to them before turning and rushing off into the trees that surrounded the small clearing Iota had landed them in. The children watched it leave with curious expressions, exchanging glances.

"Did it just bow in thanks to you?" Nella asked, looking between Koschei and Theta. "Because if it did, that's pretty amazing."

Theta grinned widely. "I think it did." He reached up to Koschei and high-fived him. "I'm glad we rescued it."

Koschei nodded. "I'm glad we did to," he sighed. "Too bad we can't actually tell anyone about the fact we were the ones to rescue the Rosi." The four sighed again in unison. "Maybe one day; after we've left the Academy. Would we be able to get in trouble then?"

Theta shrugged. "Probably." He jumped up from the ground. "But who cares."

Iota glanced at the forest around them. "I have the strange urge to explore this planet."

"I don't know if that would be a good idea," Nella pointed out, hurrying to put a hand on Iota's shoulder to stop her. "There was a reason that there was an ambassador ship from here on Gallifrey. Time Lords and Ourins don't get along very well. They might not like the fact we've been here as long as we have." She pointed over her shoulder back to the TARDIS. "We should get going."

Theta and Koschei shared a look before looking to Iota. "I'm sure it wouldn't hurt if we stay for a few minutes more," Theta prompted. "As long as no one knows."

Koschei nodded. "I'm sure it won't hurt anyone." Without another word, Koschei, Theta and Iota fell to the ground where they sat and wrapped their arms behind their heads. Nella sighed as she looked at the three of them before joining them.

The sweetly scented air around them was filled with small spots of white. If they blew a hand through the air, they could adjust how the particles floated. Iota crossed her eyes as one floated closer in order to see what it was. It appeared to be a small bird, completely covered with small feathers. Its wings fluttered violently in order to keep in the air.

"We should get going," Nella called, sitting up on her arms. "I don't want to start a war between the Ourins and Time Lords unintentionally."

Theta laughed. "As if Time Lords would go to war." But he stood up and turned to help Koschei follow along beside him. "Come on, Koschei. We have to get you patched up before we get back to the Academy."

"Which one of us can help him, though?" Iota asked as she hurried along behind them. "And you don't know the way to the medical ward, do you?"

Theta paused, looking around the control room. There were hallways leading off the room in almost every direction. "Um…"

Nella hurried up to the console and carefully typed a few thing. Iota moved to help Theta. Koschei was taller than him, and Theta wasn't able to fully support him on his own, though Iota wasn't much help. Koschei's head had fallen and he was whimpering as his bruises pressed painfully against his friends.

"This way." Nella lead the way down one of the hallways. A few other minutes later she pushed the door open to reveal a white covered room. There were a lot of machines covering the room and a few beds for patients to lie on. "Help him go there."

Theta and Iota hurried to do so. Nella moved to collect a few things around the room. Theta rushed to help her while Iota sat next to Koschei, taking one of his hands and squeezing it. She couldn't help but feel responsible for what had happened. She had been the one piloting. "They'll help you," she whispered to him. "I know it." Koschei mumbled something about the fact he didn't have full trust in Theta's abilities.

Between Theta and Nella, surprisingly, they were able to patch Koschei up rather well. He only had a few cuts from rather drastic bumps, but they were already beginning to heal. His bruises were healing more slowly, but they were better than when they first arrived on Zouti.

Iota hurried back to the control room. "You stay here." She told them from the doorway. "I'll pilot us back. You look after Koschei." A second after she vanished from the doorway she reappeared. "When do you want to get back?"

Nella thought about it. "About thirty minutes after when we left. That way it won't be too late." Iota nodded and hurried to do as she said.

**A/N: Iota's first adventure has finished! I must say, Zouti sounds like a rather beautiful place. No where near as beautiful as Gallifrey, but still.**

**And Theta said "allons-y"! I love throwing references in to the future. He'll definitely be saying a few more of his catchphrases as the years go by; most will be meet with a similar reaction to what "allons-y" was met with :).**

**I'm so sorry I didn't post a chapter last Sunday! I got so distracted with Nanowrimo that I completely forgot about it. So sorry!**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: She sure is! :)_

_I'msorrymylove: I love that book as well though, sadly, Kado isn't disappearing to receive memories or knowledge :(. Thank you! If you do it, I wish you the best of luck!_

_Sonic Key: Hello DW! Thank you! That's such an amazing compliment; thank you! I'm so glad they keep improving :). You're right; who knows? I hope you liked the adventure! Thank you! I hope you liked the update._

_Moonbeam141: I want to leave that up to the reader to decide. I know! Despite the trouble they got in, what they did was actually quite useful :)._


	36. Part 1: Chapter Thirty-Six

By the time the four of them returned to the Academy, Koschei looked as good as new. Nella joked that it was because of the regeneration energy that was beginning to develop in him ever since his one hundredth birthday.

They all had the same begin happening to them. It was the same as what happened to all the other students at the Academy. On the entire day of their one hundredth birthday, their eyes glowed golden and occasionally bursts of golden energy darted out of their hands. It was the only thing that announced to everyone when people's birthdays were. Nella explained, as Tirin screamed whenever the energy erupted from his hands, that it would happen every year in the future. At their Naming Ceremony the process would be quickened and they'd receive the rest of the energy at once.

Nella and Iota went back to their rooms, teasing Koschei and Theta until they separated. Almost immediately Iota went tense. No pain had come the entire time she was dealing with the TARDIS, but she knew it had to come at some point. The pain couldn't have just left. She had tried to pretend she wasn't worrying about anything for her brother and Koschei.

Nella didn't seem to notice that Iota went silent. She seemed happy to go between cursing the two boys who had woken them up in the middle of the night to being amazed at what they had just done. It was impressive.

Iota fell onto her bed the moment they entered the room, slamming her face against the pillow. That didn't deter Nella from speaking until her voice faded away into sleep. It was more difficult for Iota to speak, though that may have been from her face being pressed into the pillow and her unwillingness to move..

Even though it had been so long since she last touched the console, her body was tense as she breathed into the pillow. She clenched the blanket beneath her and her teeth began to grind, preparing herself for the certain onslaught of pain.

But it felt like the TARDIS had given her a gift. By holding back, it kept the pain away. She wanted to rush back and thank it, even though she knew it would be the worst idea ever to do so. It was dangerous to go the first time; the second time would be even worse. All she could do would be to whisper thanks in her mind.

Somehow, there was a buzz in her mind like the TARDIS was acknowledging that she had realized what happened even though she was no longer inside it.

-I-

The moment her eyes flew awake the next morning, Iota waited for pain to hit. But still, there was nothing. Not even the buzz from the TARDIS she had felt the night before. Her mind was empty and still.

Nella seemed to have lost most of the excitement she had when they hurried back to their room. She, though clearly tired, was prepared to begin another day. They were both yawning as Nella lead the way to the dining hall for breakfast.

Tirin was sitting at the normal table. For once, he was more awake then the two girls. He looked surprised to see how tired they were. "How late did you stay up last night? Did I forget to do something?"

"Theta and Koschei arrived in the middle of the night with a kidnapped Rosi that we brought back to Zouti. Iota piloted." Nella leaned on her elbows. "So yes, we're rather tired."

"You piloted?" Tirin widened his eyes. Iota knew they would be having a conversation about it later.

Iota shrugged. "I do have a one hundred percent in the class."

There was a loud bang and everyone's attention was brought to an entrance door to the dining hall; it was one that only professors came through. A small group of Time Lords strolled in with clear anger on their faces. "A Rosi has gone missing from the labs," the Time Lord in the front said. His eyes were cold and they swept across the room. "We know one of you stole it. What we don't know is which one."

Nella and Iota glanced across the room to where Theta and Koschei sat. The two boys were doing a good job at pretending they didn't know what was going on.

"It would solve quite a few problems if the culprit could confess currently." No student moved. A few coughed. "Very well. The TARDIS used will be scanned. The one of you that did this will be punished even more severely now that you have not confessed." With a swipe of their robes, the Time Lords turned and stalked out of the room.

Immediately the room was filled with whispers. Iota could only giggle and when she looked to Theta and Koschei she found that the boys were feverously whispering to their fellow Deca members. The other members seemed impressed; the boys must have been telling them what happened. Ushas hit Theta on his head with a napkin.

"What are you going to do? The two of you will get in trouble as well after they look at the TARDIS records." Tirin glanced between the two. He seemed much more worried than the members of the Deca.

Nella started to wring her hands and bit her lips, mumbling about how their lives would be destroyed and they would be kicked out of the Academy. Tirin quickly began to try and calm her down. Iota closed her eyes and focused. It was a hunch, but something inside her felt that if she focused every aspect of her mind she would be able to do something to help. She didn't know what would happen but it felt like it would help.

Something jumped painfully in her head, but it wasn't great pain. The buzzing she had heard the night before arrived. Slowly, the buzzing formed into a quiet voice.

"What do you need of me?" The voice blended almost entirely with the buzzing, but she was able to make out the words when she blocked out every other sound. It sounded feminine and almost as though it was singing.

Iota wasn't able to respond with a voice in her mind, but she directed her attention to the idea of deleting the visible records on the TARDIS. There was a sharp pain behind her eyes and her vision flooded red for a moment.

The voice felt as though it nodded and then it left with the feeling that it rested its hand on her forehead. The touch was cold. Red peppered Iota's eyesight as she reopened her eyes to watch Tirin giving Nella a comforting hug.

Iota had no idea if she had actually done anything to help; it was perfectly logical that it had only happened inside her head and it had no effect on the world around. But the small pain that jolted the back of her mind, spreading like fire before vanishing, told her otherwise.

It was almost as though she had the bond with TARDISes that the Hunter and Percy still believed she did.

-I-

It was only during the second study period of the day, when Nella worked with Ulysses, that Tirin and Iota were able to have any type of conversation alone. They made certain to sit a few tables away.

"Are you alright?" Tirin reached for the hand that rested on the table. "Did anything happen?"

Iota shook her head. "That's the strange thing. Nothing happened. No pain. It was just like I knew how to fly the TARDIS already. I could have passed the test for a license then and there."

Tirin squeezed the hand. "I'm glad you're okay. But be even more careful next time, if there is a next time." He laughed quietly. "I know there will be thanks to your brother. But I don't want you to get hurt again."

She smiled in thanks. "Thank you. Theta and Koschei didn't seem to fully be worrying. They were more focused on the Rosi."

"Now there's something I don't believe." They laughed loudly, but were made to fall silent because of the glares the students the next table over sent towards them. Tirin's face fell. "What's going to happen when they find out you were there? How much trouble are you going to get in?"

"We will likely get kicked out." Iota glanced at Nella. The girl was as bright as she always was when working with Ulysses. They appeared to be holding a conversation in 51st century Italian. "Nella will be devastated."

Iota could tell that Tirin wanted to comfort her, but he couldn't do so without lying. All he could do would be to reach for her hand and squeeze it tightly before returning to their work.

-I-

The next few days were spent with Nella and Iota shying away from every professor that walked towards them. They expected every word out of a professor's mouth to be telling them that it was discovered they assisted in the kidnapping of the Rosi. Time Lords would surround them and they would be escorted away to vanish just like Kado.

But all that happened was the kinder ones gave them slight nods of respect as they passed in the halls and the others did nothing, looking over the girls' heads as though they weren't there. Nella and Iota would let out the breaths they had been holding every time.

They would discuss what was happening every night sitting across from each other on their beds. Iota was only able to shrug and say she had no idea what was happening. Nella scribbled in her notebook every idea that drifted into her head and she shared them with Iota eagerly. However, after reading them out loud, she scribbled over the page and started over.

None of the theories lasted that long. When Nella and Iota went to talk to Theta and Koschei about what happened, the boys were thankful rather than questioning. Nella scolded Koschei more than she scolded Theta about it. His excuse was that he didn't want to press anything and engager their luck.

After a few days Iota began to smile internally as she made her way through the Academy. Something had happened when she had focused and the voice arrived. Somehow, she had contacted the TARDIS they had used and it had stopped the Time Lords from figuring out who used it.

Nella had the idea to casually ask Ulysses how the search was going in the library one day. Theta and Koschei sat a few feet away with the Deca, attempting to listen without appearing to.

"Have you found any clues yet? On who took the Rosi?" Nella started the conversation at the beginning of her language lesson for the Study Period. Tirin and Iota still stood there after dropping her off.

Ulysses sighed, his face morphing into a large frown. He rubbed his forehead. "We have nothing. The records on who used the TARDIS were deleted." He leaned forwards. "The most confusing thing is that the TARDIS used had a lock on the records for just this reason and still it was deleted."

"How do you know it was the TARDIS used if the records are deleted?" Nella continued the conversation. Tirin and Iota sat the table over so they would still be able to listen.

"The only thing we have is that the TARDIS left the storage facility and was returned thirty minutes later. Even the cameras set up to record the TARDISes froze a few seconds before the TARDIS left and a few seconds after it arrived back. We have nothing."

Iota hated to smile at what he said, but she did. They were safe. There was no evidence that they had done anything wrong. When Nella and Iota informed Theta and Koschei, the four of them jumped in joy.

As soon as they stopped, Nella swatted Theta and Koschei on their heads. The boys winced. "What was that for?" Theta glared at her.

"Do not drag us into anything else. This was already too risky; I do not want to get kicked out of the Academy!" She crossed her arms.

"But…" Theta seemed to collapse; he almost reached Iota's tiny height. "Why?"

"While you," she poked Theta in the chest, "don't seem to care about your education you," she poked Koschei, "should. You shouldn't risk your education like that and you definitely shouldn't drag us into it."

The boys turned to look at Iota hopefully. "You don't think that, do you?" Theta looked like he was begging. He even lifted his hands up weakly. Koschei just widened his grey eyes and gave her an overly large frown.

"Honestly, I agree with Nella. I don't want to get in trouble. Think of what it would do to Papa? And Braxiatel?" Iota crossed her arms and glared. Something about her expression shocked the boys into her seeming older than them. Nella was the only one who didn't seem fazed.

The boys leaned away from her, blushing. They looked like they were five again and just broken one of Koschei's mother's vases. "Sorry. We'll try to keep out of trouble."

"Yeah, that doesn't seem likely, knowing you." Iota turned and walked away with Nella, the two girls beginning to laugh at the boys' expressions. They glanced back to see Theta and Koschei attempting to figure out the best way to avoid trouble and avoid Iota's wrath while still having adventures. They had never seen her wrath before, but they knew they didn't want to.

They didn't have any ideas.

**A/N: This chapter was mainly an explanation of the events after the Rosi adventure, but there was still an important event none the less.**

**Things are developing with Iota and TARDISes! How exciting! Maybe Percy and the Hunter are right and she does have a bond...we'll have to wait and see.**

**Notes on reviews:**

_Teddy bear 007: It is a fun challenge to attempt for writers, so that may explain why so many are doing it._

_Sonic Key: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! After Nella and Iota's scolding, I find it unlikely they'll go on any more. But who know's; leave it to Theta and Koschei to drag the girls along on an adventure even after the girls actively protested. Yep, you spelled that right :). Hope you enjoyed this update! Currently, as of posting this chapter, I have 27,449 words of my Nanowrimo story finished. However, I did start with about 10,000 words, so technically I've written about 17,449 words in November. Koschei will definitely begin to turn more 'Mastery' as the years progress, even more so once they leave the Academy._

_TheShootingStarl (Guest): This is part 1 because Iota is currently in her first regeneration. Each regeneration will get it's own separate part since I've decided to combine the entire story into one story. There will be a part two once she regenerates._

_Lacuna Everspring: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Good luck with your venture into Nanowrimo!_

_finally (Guest): I'm glad to see you're excited for the updates :D_


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